Ind. House OKs money-saving school voucher bill

For more than five weeks, the School Voucher Bill, HB 1003, was frozen on the House calendar due to the Democratic walkout.

The bill would provide scholarships of up to $4,500 to students of low-income families to attend a private school.

On March 30 the bill passed in the House on its third reading with a 56-42 vote — but not without a few changes.

More than 20 amendments were discussed during the second reading of the bill. Nine were adopted, two of which were authored by Democrats. Those two amendments were part of a compromise between House Democrats and Republicans for the bill to be passed.

The income cap for families to qualify is now $60,000, down from its original language.

 Another amendment would use public money to pay for 7,500 school vouchers in the first year, then 15,000 in the second year.

But even after the amendments, some are still concerned about consequences the bill will have on public education.

Lafayette resident Nancy Tabor, mother of four children and former teacher, participated in three rallies at the Statehouse to voice her concerns about the bill.
“I’m not against school choice by any means,” Tabor said. “But when that option means taking money away from public education, I stop supporting it. Funding is already being cut, and our schools don’t need more money being diverted.”

However, School Choice Indiana, a nonpartisan organization that hopes to provide parents with more choices regarding their children’s education, claims a voucher program will actually save the state money.

According to the Indiana Department of Education, the average per-pupil spending in Indiana was $9,934 in 2008. 

If a child chooses to participate in the program, any tax money not used for the voucher would then be evenly distributed among all public schools.

The School Choice Indiana website claims a voucher program could lower per-pupil public cost for children in private and public schools.

The bill’s author, Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, said the legislation is not about money, but about providing equal opportunities.

“All students, no matter where they live, should have the option of obtaining a great educational experience that best suits their needs,” Behning said in a press release. “This bill is a substantial component to allowing children the best possible educational opportunity they can possibly have.”