Ind. House bill may fund full-day kindergarten

Schools might receive more money to improve childhood education.

State Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale, proposed spending an additional $80 million for full-day kindergarten.

The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved H.B. 1376 on Wednesday.

“Everybody here, Republicans and Democrats alike, claim education is their No. 1 priority,” Espich said in a statement. “We certainly believe that. The best thing we can do for K-12 is put additional funds toward full-day kindergarten.”

The bill would increase the per-student grant for full-day kindergarten from $1,227 to $2,400 next year.

Gov. Mitch Daniels said he thinks this is a good way to use the new income
discovered by the state.

“Because of the strong fiscal position of our state — well beyond the surplus forecasted in the budget — we’ve discussed with leadership potential uses for some of the extra surplus and agreed the best such option is to complete statewide funding of full-day kindergarten,” Daniels said in a press release. “In the last five years, we have expanded the percentage of 5-year-olds in FDK dramatically, but now we have the chance to finish the job.”

H.B. 1376 also includes compensation for state fair victims. Victims would receive $5 million.

“I’m also pleased with the House initiative to double the amount of compensation for state fair victims as I previously requested,”
Daniels said.

— Claire Aronson