Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) to apply to the United States Department of Health and Human Services to amend the state plan for the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program to increase the maximum initial eligibility limit for purposes of initial eligibility to 150% of the federal poverty level. Requires the office to fully fund: (1) each eligible applicant for a CCDF voucher payment; and (2) eligible CCDF provider reimbursement rates at a specified rate. Provides that the office may not place an eligible CCDF applicant on a waiting list. Provides that an eligible child for the prekindergarten program is an individual who, among other conditions, is a member of a household with an annual income that does not exceed 150% of the federal poverty level (instead of 135% for individuals enrolled on or after May 1, 2025, under current law). Removes the limitation on state money that may be used for a prekindergarten voucher during a state fiscal year. Requires the office of family and social services to establish reimbursement rates for prekindergarten providers that are equal to or greater than the rates established that were in effect on January 1, 2025. Makes an appropriation to the prekindergarten program fund.
Amends provisions, beginning July 1, 2027, regarding use of the Pokagon Indiana education fund to make payments to Indiana public or private institutions of higher learning or workforce development and training programs. Provides that, in addition to conditions established in current law to convert an existing public elementary or secondary school, an existing public elementary or secondary school may be converted into a charter school if certain other conditions apply. Allows, if the conditions are met, the governing body of a school corporation to: (1) convert more than one existing public elementary or secondary school within the school corporation; and (2) operate two or more conversion charter schools under a single charter. Prohibits the governing body of a school corporation from being the authorizer of a charter school and entering into or having a participating innovation network charter school agreement with the charter school at the same time. Amends provisions regarding participating innovation network charter schools to allow an organizer to enter into an agreement with more than one school corporation. Amends requirements regarding the location of a participating innovation network charter school and terms of an agreement. Amends the duties of the department of education with regard to participating innovation network charter schools. Makes conforming changes, including changes to the complexity index. Requires parental notification if a school determines a student is at risk of not achieving grade level proficiency in mathematics.
Requires the Indiana department of education to elect to participate as a covered state in the federal tax credit scholarship program for elementary and secondary education under Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code (enacted in Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025). Makes conforming changes to the school scholarship tax credit in current law. Requires the governor and the department of workforce development, in consultation with the commission for higher education, to: (1) establish a process to identify eligible workforce training programs; (2) establish a process for institutions and programs to apply for recognition as an eligible workforce training program; (3) coordinate certain workforce training matters; and (4) require eligible workforce training programs to provide certain datasets to the department. Provides that the department of workforce development must maintain alignment with federal rules governing workforce Pell grants.
Increases the percentage of the contribution allowed to be claimed for the school scholarship tax credit (tax credit) from 50% to 75%. Allows taxpayers that commit to making a contribution of at least the same amount for at least two consecutive years to claim the tax credit in an amount equal to 90% of the amount of the contribution. Increases the total amount of tax credits that may be awarded for a state fiscal year from $18,500,000 to $80,000,000. Provides a calculation for an annual increase of the total amount of tax credits for future state fiscal years based on the tax credit's usage. Expands the definition of "participating school" for purposes of the certification of scholarship granting organizations by removing language providing for accreditation and administration of tests under the statewide assessment program or other norm-referenced assessment of the school's students. Requires the receipt prescribed by the department of state revenue for use in an agreement to be a scholarship granting organization to include whether a taxpayer commits to making contributions of at least the same amount for at least two consecutive years.
Requires a public school, including a charter school, to teach the Bible as literature. Prohibits a governmental entity from denying benefits to any person on the basis of: (1) Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana; (2) separation of church and state; or (3) the establishment clause; and establishes certain exceptions. Permits a person adversely affected by a violation to file a civil action against the governmental entity. Authorizes a: (1) prevailing plaintiff in a suit brought against a governmental entity; and (2) prevailing party, in a suit brought by a governmental entity; to obtain court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
Requires the department of education (department) to: (1) compile a list of business and industry partners that provide guaranteed incentives to high school students who earn the honors employment plus seal; and (2) publish the list on the department's website. Provides that, in addition to conditions established in current law to convert an existing public elementary or secondary school, an existing public elementary or secondary school may be converted into a charter school if certain other conditions apply. Allows, if the conditions are met, the governing body of a school corporation to: (1) convert more than one existing public elementary or secondary school within the school corporation; and (2) operate two or more conversion charter schools under a single charter. Allows participating innovation network charter schools to enter into an agreement with more than one school corporation. Establishes the following for or with regard to participating innovation network charter schools that entered into an agreement with more than one school corporation: (1) Requirements regarding the location of a participating innovation network charter school. (2) Terms of a participating innovation network charter school agreement. (3) Duties of the department. Amends certain requirements and procedures that apply to the closure and transfer of covered school buildings. Provides that a lease or sale of a covered school building to a charter school or state educational institution includes certain assets. Requires parental notification if a school determines a student is at risk of not achieving grade level proficiency in mathematics.
Requires the person or entity having authority over a school building to: (1) test the drinking water in the school building by a specified time frame; and (2) follow certain guidelines in conducting the testing and remediation. Requires the Indiana department of health to impose a civil penalty on the superintendent of a school corporation or the equivalent for a charter school for failing to have the school building's drinking water tested within the specified time frame.
Provides that provisions regarding the following apply to charter schools: (1) Child suicide awareness and prevention policy requirements. (2) Staff performance evaluation plan requirements. (3) Curriculum. (4) Student discipline. (5) Criminal organization activity. (6) Student safety reporting. (7) Government funds and accounts. (8) Certain notice requirements regarding convictions of licensed employees. Removes the charter board, state educational institutions, and nonprofit college or university governing boards from the definition of an authorizer. After June 30, 2026, provides that the charter board, state educational institutions, and governing boards may not issue new charters or renew existing charters. After June 30, 2026, establishes a five year moratorium that prohibits an authorizer from granting a charter to an organizer to establish and operate a charter school in Indiana. Requires charter schools to provide transportation services to all students who reside within the public school district within which the charter school is located. Exempts school corporations subject to certain property tax sharing requirements from the dollar law. Changes the maximum charter school contract term to five years. Provides that a charter must contain a provision to appoint certain persons to the governing board of the charter school. Requires any public meeting of a charter school governing board where the annual budget is adopted to be held in the county in which the charter school is located. Prohibits certain charter schools from receiving state funding, or from receiving funding from operation fund property tax levies, operating referendum tax levies, and school safety referendum tax levies. Removes, expires, and repeals provisions that require school corporations to share operation fund property tax levy, operating referendum tax levy, and school safety referendum tax levy funds with charter schools. Makes conforming changes.
Requires each school corporation, charter school, and state accredited nonpublic elementary school to include print handwriting, cursive handwriting, and spelling in its curriculum.
Revises the definition of "bullying". Requires each public school, including a charter school, to track, monitor, and analyze specified aspects of bullying, and provides that a parent of a student or a student, if the student is an emancipated minor, may submit a grievance to the school for a violation of this requirement. Requires each school corporation and charter school to: (1) document and track all acts of bullying and abusive behaviors for analysis; (2) prepare and implement interventions to deter and prevent bullying and abusive behaviors; and (3) compile, prepare, and submit an annual report beginning July 1, 2027, to the department of education, the state board of education, and the legislative council summarizing the information collected. Requires the state board of education to review the report and provide recommendations to certain schools to reduce the frequency of acts of bullying or abusive behaviors. Allows the department of child services to release unredacted reports to a school's designated liaison under certain circumstances.
