March 16, 2021

Indiana General Assembly Approves Virtual School Funding Bill, Sends To Holcomb

Article origination IPBS-RJC
The school funding legislation was approved with widespread support, but six lawmakers in the House and Senate voted against the bill.  - Lauren Chapman/IPB News

The school funding legislation was approved with widespread support, but six lawmakers in the House and Senate voted against the bill.

Lauren Chapman/IPB News

The Indiana General Assembly has approved full funding for schools operating virtually because of COVID-19. 

The Senate approved the final form of Senate Bill 2 Tuesday, after lawmakers in the House gave their final approval on the legislation last week. 

The fix comes after concerns schools would lose state funding for students who have been forced online because of the pandemic. 

State law limits funding for dedicated virtual schools and their students to just 85 percent, and many Hoosier students on hybrid or remote school schedules would have met the state's definition of "virtual student" at the peak of building closures this year. 

But the final form ensures full funding for students who are learning online because of COVID-19 and not enrolled in a dedicated virtual school. 

It's similar to a change made by the State Board of Education in the fall, and now goes to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his signature.

Contact reporter Jeanie at jlindsa@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @jeanjeanielindz.

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