Signed by Governor Mike Braun

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends various student and teacher protections and regulations in Indiana.

Highlights:

• Repeals various education provisions and expired education provisions, including provisions concerning the following (Sec. 1-187):

• Secretary of Education criteria;

• Certain Department of Education (department) requirements;

• The advisory committee on career and technical education;

• Use of hearing examiners by the state board of education (state board);

• Credit for retaking a virtual course during certain periods;

• Family-friendly school designations;

• The Indiana Civic Education Commission. (8) Discretionary directives to the department;

• The program for the advancement of math and science;

• Access to telecommunication services;

• Elementary school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists program and fund;

• Grants for mental health counselor licenses for school counselors;

• The arts education program;

• The geothermal conversion revolving fund;

• Clause requirements for certain charter school organizer documents;

• Required acknowledgment by a current authorizer regarding a proposal by an existing charter school to another authorizer;

• Requirements regarding a governing body of school corporation (governing body) providing a non-charter school;

• Charter requirements, including minimum year, instruction, course, and annual performance target requirements;

• Certain notice requirements from an authorizer to an organizer that is not in compliance;

• Certain nondiscrimination and acceptance of credit requirements regarding public non-charter schools;

• Indiana school for the arts;

• Allowing the board of trustees of Vincennes University to establish a grammar school;

• Designation of certain committees by a governing body;

• Governing body use of funds for associations;

• Required policies on contacting employment references;

• Developing and reviewing evidence-based plans with parents for improving student behavior and discipline;

• Requirements and limitations regarding remediation programs;

• Township trustees and the sale of schoolhouses;

• School health advisory councils and adoption of a school corporation policy on child nutrition and physical activity;

• Certain agreement requirements regarding joint programs;

• Certain requirements regarding the transfer of a student to another school;

• Freewayschool corporation and freeway school program;

• Policies, programs, and reports regarding criminal organization activity. (34) Revocation of the coalition of continuous improvement school corporation's membership;

• Transportation program discretion;

• Recommendations regarding certain powers and duties of the department;

• Certain training and professional development requirements;

• Certain teacher leave requirements;

• Ineligibility for state funds for adopting residence requirements;

• Certain compensation is included in the computing teacher's retirement benefit;

• Penalty for failing to comply with working schedule requirements;

• Discretionary modification of graduation plan;

• Required course on safety education;

• Compilation of leaflets regarding hygiene, sanitary science, and disease prevention;

• Making a violation regarding teaching certain disease information an infraction;

• Certain elective courses and teachings;

• Voluntary summer school program and joint summer school program requirements;

• Technology preparation curriculum;

• Community or volunteer service programs;

• Nonsession school activities;

• Requirements regarding Indiana academic standards;

• Strategic and continuous improvement and achievement plans;

• Cultural competency components of a school plan;

• Student educational achievement grants;

• Remediation grant program; 

• Postsecondary workforce training program remediation reduction;

• Requirements to provide an enrollment form for the twenty-first-century scholar's program to certain students;

• Governor's Scholars Academy;

• Seminary township school fund;

• Dual credit teacher stipend matching grant fund;

• Student enrichment grants; and

• Required submission of economic interest information at the time a charter school organizer submits a proposal for a charter school.

• Amends and merges provisions regarding fund distribution upon the termination of a charter and the cessation of a charter school (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends the age eligibility for a member of a governing body (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends the time by which a governing body must organize by electing officers (Sec. 1-187).

• Establishes information that must be included in a consolidated audit by an organizer (Sec. 1-187).

• Specifies that adult high schools are excluded from all cohort-based graduation rate calculations except to the extent required under federal law (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends the termination and notice requirements about terminating a transportation program (Sec. 1-187). 

• Amends and relocates a provision regarding trauma-informed classroom instruction curriculumin teacher preparation programs (Sec. 1-187).

• Specifies that the secretary of education (instead of the governor) shall appoint the director of special education (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends required frequency of child abuse and neglect training (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends certain financial statement filing requirements regarding school trusts to pool assets for insurance coverage and makes other technical and conforming changes (Sec. 1-187).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect beginning July 1, 2025 (Sec. 188).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends various student and teacher protections and regulations in Indiana.

Highlights:

• Repeals various education provisions and expired education provisions, including provisions concerning the following (Sec. 1-187):

• Secretary of Education criteria;

• Certain Department of Education (department) requirements;

• The advisory committee on career and technical education;

• Use of hearing examiners by the state board of education (state board);

• Credit for retaking a virtual course during certain periods;

• Family-friendly school designations;

• The Indiana Civic Education Commission. (8) Discretionary directives to the department;

• The program for the advancement of math and science;

• Access to telecommunication services;

• Elementary school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists program and fund;

• Grants for mental health counselor licenses for school counselors;

• The arts education program;

• The geothermal conversion revolving fund;

• Clause requirements for certain charter school organizer documents;

• Required acknowledgment by a current authorizer regarding a proposal by an existing charter school to another authorizer;

• Requirements regarding a governing body of school corporation (governing body) providing a non-charter school;

• Charter requirements, including minimum year, instruction, course, and annual performance target requirements;

• Certain notice requirements from an authorizer to an organizer that is not in compliance;

• Certain nondiscrimination and acceptance of credit requirements regarding public non-charter schools;

• Indiana school for the arts;

• Allowing the board of trustees of Vincennes University to establish a grammar school;

• Designation of certain committees by a governing body;

• Governing body use of funds for associations;

• Required policies on contacting employment references;

• Developing and reviewing evidence-based plans with parents for improving student behavior and discipline;

• Requirements and limitations regarding remediation programs;

• Township trustees and the sale of schoolhouses;

• School health advisory councils and adoption of a school corporation policy on child nutrition and physical activity;

• Certain agreement requirements regarding joint programs;

• Certain requirements regarding the transfer of a student to another school;

• Freewayschool corporation and freeway school program;

• Policies, programs, and reports regarding criminal organization activity. (34) Revocation of the coalition of continuous improvement school corporation's membership;

• Transportation program discretion;

• Recommendations regarding certain powers and duties of the department;

• Certain training and professional development requirements;

• Certain teacher leave requirements;

• Ineligibility for state funds for adopting residence requirements;

• Certain compensation is included in the computing teacher's retirement benefit;

• Penalty for failing to comply with working schedule requirements;

• Discretionary modification of graduation plan;

• Required course on safety education;

• Compilation of leaflets regarding hygiene, sanitary science, and disease prevention;

• Making a violation regarding teaching certain disease information an infraction;

• Certain elective courses and teachings;

• Voluntary summer school program and joint summer school program requirements;

• Technology preparation curriculum;

• Community or volunteer service programs;

• Nonsession school activities;

• Requirements regarding Indiana academic standards;

• Strategic and continuous improvement and achievement plans;

• Cultural competency components of a school plan;

• Student educational achievement grants;

• Remediation grant program; 

• Postsecondary workforce training program remediation reduction;

• Requirements to provide an enrollment form for the twenty-first-century scholar's program to certain students;

• Governor's Scholars Academy;

• Seminary township school fund;

• Dual credit teacher stipend matching grant fund;

• Student enrichment grants; and

• Required submission of economic interest information at the time a charter school organizer submits a proposal for a charter school.

• Amends and merges provisions regarding fund distribution upon the termination of a charter and the cessation of a charter school (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends the age eligibility for a member of a governing body (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends the time by which a governing body must organize by electing officers (Sec. 1-187).

• Establishes information that must be included in a consolidated audit by an organizer (Sec. 1-187).

• Specifies that adult high schools are excluded from all cohort-based graduation rate calculations except to the extent required under federal law (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends the termination and notice requirements about terminating a transportation program (Sec. 1-187). 

• Amends and relocates a provision regarding trauma-informed classroom instruction curriculumin teacher preparation programs (Sec. 1-187).

• Specifies that the secretary of education (instead of the governor) shall appoint the director of special education (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends required frequency of child abuse and neglect training (Sec. 1-187).

• Amends certain financial statement filing requirements regarding school trusts to pool assets for insurance coverage and makes other technical and conforming changes (Sec. 1-187).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect beginning July 1, 2025 (Sec. 188).

Full Bill Text