Submitted by Hamilton Heights School Corporation
Hamilton Heights will be among school districts in Hamilton County to participate in “Week of Walk-ins” the week of March 22 to raise awareness and stop current bills making their way through the Indiana Legislature that schools personnel say would have a harmful impact to public education institutions throughout Indiana.
Hamilton Heights joins schools across the state who are advocating on behalf of their students, passing resolutions, and taking other actions related to HB 1005 and SB 413, that if passed, will divert public tax dollars to private schools.
“We support our students and the 94 percent of students who attend public schools in Indiana and oppose any legislation that does not benefit public education in Indiana,” said Jennifer Luce, Hamilton Heights School Corporation Data & Curriculum Integration Specialist and Hamilton Heights Classroom Teacher Association President.
“Our public schools provide vital services supporting our children and families in our community,” continued Luce, a fact that has never been more evident than during this past year. “We all greatly benefit from strong public schools – district families, business owners, and our community overall, and we are deeply concerned about the negative impact these two bills could have on public education in Indiana.
HB 1005 sets aside $33 million dollars in 2022 and 2023 for Choice Scholarships. Choice Scholarships are tax deductions provided to the parents of students who would leave public school and enroll in a private or parochial school.
In addition, HB 1005 sets up an Educational Savings Account for parents who have children in accredited private or parochial schools. The Educational Savings Account allows the parents to deposit money in the account for Special Education services, tuition, or other supplies. The parent can claim this deduction on their yearly Indiana tax return.
SB 413 allows foster children to receive a Choice Scholarship.
“There’s more. A new department in the Treasurer’s Office will need to be created to monitor and oversee these education savings accounts,” Luce added. “The Legislative Service Agency estimates this new office will increase the size of the state government with a cost of over $5 million dollars a year. Voucher expansion in the form of the Choice Scholarships and Education Savings Accounts divert significant monies away from public schools and lack oversight and accountability.”
The bottom line, school officials say, is public schools provide a strong educational environment for Indiana’s children. If these bills pass, enacting Education Savings Accounts and expanding school vouchers would put local public schools at risk by directing resources away from those schools to nonpublic schools and/or home schools that are not subject to the same rigorous scrutiny for their use of taxpayer resources.
The community is invited to participate with this effort and reach out to their legislators about these school choice bills. At the walk-ins, educators will have a petition to sign asking legislators not to pass these two bills. The tentative schedule is as follows:
- Monday, March 22: Sheridan Community Schools
- Tuesday, March 23: Hamilton Heights School Corporation
- Wednesday, March 24: Noblesville Schools
- Thursday, March 25: Westfield Washington Schools
- Friday, March 26: Hamilton Southeastern Schools
At this point, HB 1005, and SB 413 have not passed both houses of the Indiana General Assembly and will be introduced for consideration into the Senate in the next couple of weeks. #SupportINPublicSchools #ESAisNotOK #WeAreHuskies
If you share this concern and believe that HB 1005 and SB 413 should not be enacted into law, please reach out to your legislator and request they do not support this legislation for the final vote. Go to iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators to contact your legislators.
“The bottom line, school officials say, is public schools provide a strong educational environment for Indiana’s children. If these bills pass, enacting Education Savings Accounts and expanding school vouchers would put local public schools at risk by directing resources away from those schools to nonpublic schools and/or home schools that are not subject to the same rigorous scrutiny for their use of taxpayer resources.”
No, they do not. If public schools did a better job, instead of participating in job actions, the students would achieve higher levels. There is a reason the State Legislature is looking at additional choices and control of their children’s education… the faltering of public school education, and excuses being made about it.
I support HB 1005 & SB 413, and ask parents to reach out to your elected representatives and ask them to vote in favor of this legislation.
It’s your children, you need to choose the best education for them, not schools that are beholden to Unionization of those that teach at a substandard level.