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School Choice in Indiana

Summary

Indiana has three private school choice programs (tax-credit scholarships, vouchers, individual tax deduction). The state also has a charter school law. Indiana allows for limited public virtual schooling. Limited open enrollment exists, only intradistrict public school choice in Indianapolis.

Laws & Regulations Governing Private Schools

Constitutionality

Both tax credit and voucher programs are school choice options for Indiana. The reasoning of the Indiana Supreme Court’s 2003 decision upholding dual-enrollment programs provides strong support for school choice.

Specifically, the opinion suggests that a state program plainly intended to serve a public purpose like educating its citizens’ children would be upheld regardless of whether it indirectly benefited a religious organization.

–Quote from the Institute for Justice (April 2007)

Legislative Updates

2/11/2011	February 2011-Legislative Roundup
5/5/2010	May 2010-Post Session Legislative Round-Up
8/4/2009	2009 Legislation: Scholarship Tax Credit Proposals
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School Choice Programs

Tuition Tax Deduction

Enacted 2011 • Launched 2011

Indiana provides a tax deduction for individuals who make educational expenditures on behalf of their dependent children. Any taxpayer who has a child already enrolled in private school or who is homeschooled is eligible to claim up to a $1,000 tax... Read More

Choice Scholarship Program

Enacted 2011 • Launched 2011

Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program allows students in low- and middle-income families to receive vouchers to attend private school. Read More

School Scholarship Tax Credit

Enacted 2009 • Launched 2010

Indiana’s School Scholarship Tax Credit program allows individuals and corporations to claim a 50 percent tax credit for contributions to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), nonprofits that provide private school scholarships. There is... Read More

Research

Indiana K-12 & School Choice Survey

1/10/2011

The “Indiana K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Indiana registered voters’ awareness and opinions... Read More

Florida’s Lessons for Indiana K-12 Reform

9/2/2009

Jeb Bush campaigned for Governor on a clear and bracing set of education reforms in 1998. Having won office, he immediately pursued a dual track strategy of education reform: standards and accountability for public schools, choice options for... Read More

The Fiscal Impact of a Corporate & Individual Tax Credit Scholarship Program on the State of Indiana

4/22/2009

Indiana legislators are currently debating the merits of a proposal to adopt a statewide tuition scholarship tax credit program. The proposed program would make available $5 million in tax credits that businesses and individuals could claim by making... Read More

Expanding Choice: Tax Credits and Educational Access in Indiana

2/10/2009

Indiana has a long history of embracing tax credits to achieve desirable public policy goals, according to a report released today by Indiana's Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and the DC-based Institute for Justice. The report also finds that... Read More

The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Indiana

11/1/2006

The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Indiana

10/1/2006

This study finds that one year’s worth of high school dropouts cost Indiana taxpayers $62.5 million per year in lost tax revenue and higher Medicaid and incarceration costs, or about $3,000 per dropout per year. Indiana districts with higher... Read More

Indiana’s New and (Somewhat) Improved K-12 School Finance System

7/1/2005

This study analyzes and explains Indiana’s school finance system, finding that it is less transparent and less student-centered than the systems of neighboring states. Read More

News

3/27/2013	President's Comments: Milton Friedman’s Advice for Crafting School Choice Policies
3/27/2013	Indiana Vouchers Help Student Excel in School and Community
3/26/2013	Indiana Supreme Court Rules School Vouchers Constitutional
1/23/2013	Enlow \| School Choice: 49 Million Students Still Without Options
1/21/2013	Atlanta Journal Constitution \| National School Choice Week: 49 Million Students Still Without Options
1/6/2013	Indianapolis Business Journal \| Legislature to Look at Expanding Voucher Program
12/5/2012	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on Indiana Voucher Lawsuit
11/20/2012	School Vouchers Survive Legal Fight in Oklahoma, Face Hearing in Indiana
11/20/2012	Indianapolis Star \| Indiana’s Voucher Program Makes Huge Gains
10/30/2012	StateImpact \| Indiana Public Schools Added Teachers, Administrators Faster Than Students
6/17/2012	The Daily Advertiser \| Vouchers Usually Tested in Court
5/28/2012	Tribune-Star \| School Choice Proponents Foresee Growth of Vouchers
5/17/2012	Enlow \| Students Deserve Education Options
5/10/2012	Hiner & Walden Ford \| Moms Believe in Vouchers
4/19/2012	Journal & Courier \| Supporters Defend Indiana Voucher Law in Court Briefs
4/18/2012	PR Newswire \| Voucher Program Redistributes Nearly $4.2 Million in Savings to Indiana Schools in Year One
4/16/2012	Marketplace \| Louisiana Schools to Undergo Major Reforms
4/16/2012	Indianapolis Business Journal \| No Reason for Vouchers to Divide Reformers
4/13/2012	Education Week \| La. School Choice Options Expand After Sweeping Education Overhaul
4/12/2012	Wall Street Journal \| School Vouchers Gain Ground
4/11/2012	OneNewsNow \| Louisiana Broadening Voucher Program
4/6/2012	AP \| School Vouchers Spark Growing Court Fights in US
3/14/2012	Local Education Organization Praises Choice for Indianapolis Deputy Mayor of Education
3/5/2012	Indiana Barrister \| Study Shows Choice Does Not Financially Harm School Districts
2/15/2012	WXIN (Fox 59) \| Education Supporters Gather for 'Ed Reform Rocks' Rally
2/15/2012	PR Newswire \| Families, Educators, and Policymakers Participate in Ed Reform Rocks Rally to Celebrate Student-Centered Gains and to Advocate for More Great Schools
2/15/2012	Indiana Public Media \| Voucher And Charter School Advocates Hold Statehouse Rally
1/20/2012	Inside INdiana Business \| Indiana Preparing For National School Choice Week
1/18/2012	Las Vegas Review-Journal \| Another Victory for School Choice
1/18/2012	Illinois Statehouse News \| IL Lawmakers Set to Push for School Vouchers — Again
12/19/2011	Education Week \| Indiana Schools Grapple With Voucher Law's Impact
12/19/2011	WISH-TV \| Judge Hears School Voucher Debate
12/12/2011	WANE.com \| Luers Showcased in Voucher Program
11/18/2011	State Impact \| Could Indiana’s School Vouchers Be Saving The State Money?
11/17/2011	State Impact \| Are Ads For Schools A ‘New Reality’ In Indiana?
11/4/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Vouchers Start Out Strong in Indiana
11/3/2011	Atlanta Journal-Constitution \| Georgia Can Return to Leading Role in Giving Students Choices
11/3/2011	Final Results: Indiana is Nation’s Largest Ever First-Year Voucher Program
11/3/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Indiana’s Voucher Start Exceeds all Others
10/25/2011	Enlow \| Voucher Program a Valuable Reform
10/24/2011	School Reform News \| Indianapolis Opens ‘Charter Incubator'
10/19/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Democratic Powerhouse Gordon St. Angelo Dies at 84
10/19/2011	WXIX \| Ex-Ind. Democratic Leader St. Angelo Dies at 84
10/19/2011	Journal Gazette \| Former Democratic Leader St. Angelo Dies at 84
10/19/2011	Remembering Gordon St. Angelo
9/30/2011	2011’s New School Choice Programs
9/15/2011	KCTV - Kansas Lawmakers Look to Improve Learning in Sunflower State
9/13/2011	WORLD \| The Battle Over Vouchers in Indiana
9/3/2011	Enlow \| Indiana School Vouchers Include the Choice of Private Education
9/1/2011	Chicago Tribune \| Idolizing Indiana
8/27/2011	Enlow \| Vouchers Help Create a Supporting System at Home, Aiding Students
8/27/2011	Evansville Courier & Press \| Educators, Parents Begin State Voucher Program
8/23/2011	Byrne \| The Case for School Vouchers
8/20/2011	Reed \| Back to School: Choice in Education
8/19/2011	Yahoo! \| Indiana School Voucher Program Facing Lawsuit
8/16/2011	WLFI \| Judge Denies Injunction on Voucher Law
8/15/2011	Indiana Court Rules in Favor of School Voucher Program
8/13/2011	Evansville Courier & Press \| Vouchers Will Cost EVSC 94 Students and Thousands of Dollars
8/10/2011	DiPerna \| Parents Snatching Up Vouchers and K-12 Scholarships for New School Year
8/10/2011	PR Newswire \| School Choice Groups Tout Strong Interest in Voucher Program to Date
8/10/2011	DiPerna \| Parents Snatching Up Vouchers and K-12 Scholarships for New School Year
8/3/2011	Courier-Journal \| Indiana Has More Than 1,000 Applications For School Vouchers
8/3/2011	EducationNext \| No Matter How You Ask the Question
8/2/2011	AP \| School Voucher Bills Flood GOP-led Statehouses
7/30/2011	Enlow \| Friedman's Dream Unleashed
7/28/2011	Enlow \| Is 2011 Milton Friedman's Year of School Choice?
7/18/2011	WORLD \| School Choice Gains Support
7/6/2011	Reason - Hit & Run \| More Children Escape from Public Schools!
7/5/2011	Wall Street Journal \| The Year of School Choice
7/1/2011	WLFI \| LSC Joins in Lawsuit Over Voucher Law
6/30/2011	Evansville Courier & Press \| Diocese Officials Praise School Voucher Plan
6/28/2011	Road to Reform Runs Through Indiana
6/26/2011	Journal & Courier \| Indiana voucher program lags weeks before debut
6/22/2011	Reed \| New York should follow the lead taken by Indiana
6/21/2011	Reed \| Revolutionizing Education, Hoosier-style
5/27/2011	Reed \| Jeff Reed on WSPD's Brian Wilson and the Afternoon Drive
5/16/2011	Reed \| Indiana Lures, Keeps Residents With School Choice
5/6/2011	Nevada Appeal \| Dude, where's my voucher?
5/6/2011	NPR \| School Voucher Debate Heats Back Up
5/5/2011	Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels Signs Historic Voucher Bill into Law
5/5/2011	Forster \| Indiana Triple Play Delivers the Win
5/3/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Education Reforms Will Affect Futures of Schools, Students and Teachers
4/29/2011	Enlow \| School Choice: Alive and Well
4/28/2011	Atlanta Journal-Constitution \| Decisions for Daniels as he Weighs White House Bid
4/28/2011	Washington Times \| States Leaving Feds Behind on School Reforms
4/27/2011	Nation's Most Expansive Voucher Law Heads to Governor's Desk
4/27/2011	San Antonio Express-News \| Indiana Lawmakers OK Broadest Voucher Plan in US
4/27/2011	Washington Post \| Indiana OKs Broadest Private School Voucher System in US, As Governor Mulls White House Bid
4/22/2011	EdIsWatching.org \| Hoosier School Reform Daddy?: Voucher Plan Advances, Bargaining Bill Signed
4/21/2011	Indiana Senate Passes Nation's Largest Voucher Bill
4/19/2011	USA Today \| Why School Vouchers are Worth a Shot
4/19/2011	School Reform News \| Indiana Senate To Vote on Voucher, Parent Trigger Bills
4/15/2011	New York Times \| Budget Deal Fuels Revival of School Vouchers
4/4/2011	Ballot News \| Nation’s Largest School Choice Voucher Bill Passes IN House
3/30/2011	Indiana House Passes Nation’s Largest Voucher Bill as 1,000 Gather Supporting School Choice
3/30/2011	Huffington Post \| Indiana GOP pushes ahead with big voucher program
3/4/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Bold Legislation for Better Education
2/28/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Will state's top court settle school vouchers?
2/28/2011	New Poll Shows Indiana Voters Eager for Choice
2/28/2011	Why 2011 will be a Year of Growth for School Choice
2/23/2011	Enlow \| Do Striking Teachers Think of Kids?
2/8/2011	Heartland \| Indiana Parent Trigger
1/24/2011	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on WIBC's The Greg Garrison Show
1/22/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Voucher program would open access to private schools
1/17/2011	Chesterton Tribune \| Indiana lawmakers working on details of school voucher plan
1/12/2011	Overmanwarrior's Wisdom \| School Choice is a New Choice: Education Funding for the Future
1/12/2011	School Reform News \| Survey: Parents Want More School Choice
1/11/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Survey: Hoosiers say schools are failing
1/10/2011	New Poll: Indiana Voters Support Choice in Education, Substantially Underestimate Public Education Spending
1/10/2011	Indianapolis Star \| Indiana education reform effort picking up steam
1/10/2011	WRTV-6 \| Advocates: Most Hoosiers Want School Changes
1/10/2011	WIBC \| Poll: Hoosiers Approve of Charter Schools, School Vouchers
1/10/2011	IBJ \| Advocates say most Hoosiers want school changes
1/10/2011	Courier-Journal \| Poll: Hoosiers support Mitch Daniels' school vouchers idea
1/10/2011	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on Afternoons with Amos
1/9/2011	Enlow \| Give Families the Freedom to Choose
1/7/2011	WRTV-6 \| Supporters Tout More School Choice Options
1/2/2011	Chicago Tribune \| Private foundation's Indiana ad campaign backing moves to broaden school choice
12/29/2010	Foundation to push for school choice
12/26/2010	New Campaign Spotlights Education Options in Indiana
9/23/2010	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on The Greg Garrison Show
11/5/2009	Dr. Patrick Byrne on "The Greg Garrison Show"
11/5/2009	Dr. Patrick Byrne on "Abdul in the Morning"
10/5/2009	Economic Club to Host Online Retailer CEO
9/10/2009	Enlow \| Go for whole package of school reform, not pieces
9/2/2009	Florida’s Lessons for Indiana K-12 Reform
8/19/2009	Co-founder of Indy-based think tank dies
7/31/2009	Education innovation starts here
7/28/2009	State Superintendent Tony Bennett to speak at Indianapolis event honoring Dr. Milton Friedman
7/28/2009	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on Greg Garrison
7/8/2009	School Choice Gains Ground
7/7/2009	Enlow \| Indiana Adopts New School Choice Program
7/1/2009	Indiana “School Choice” Move Hailed by Agudath Israel
6/30/2009	Indiana passes new school choice program
6/15/2009	The Daniels Choice
6/12/2009	Scholarship tax credits are good for kids and budget
5/15/2009	Enlow \| School choice would help budget
4/22/2009	Tax credit scholarship program for K-12 education in Indiana would save state tax dollars
4/15/2009	The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: school choice in Obama's America and our Oklahoma
2/10/2009	Tax credits for school scholarships: a win, win, win for Indiana
11/13/2008	Ben Stein to address the importance of academic competition at school choice fundraising event December 3
11/13/2008	Ben Stein to deliver school-choice lecture
6/11/2008	Robert Enlow on Abdul in the Morning
3/14/2008	Spending on schools goes up, but we don't have choice
2/25/2008	Schools' fears don't relate to reality
2/25/2008	Cuts in Property Taxes Won't Affect Grades, study says
1/22/2008	State: 25% don't get diploma in 4 years
10/30/2007	Drumbeat sounds anew for Emmis buyout deal
7/19/2007	Forum: Free -market Affair
5/9/2007	Study: School Choice Generates Savings
10/26/2006	Indiana's 2006 dropouts will cost taxpayers $62 million every year
7/12/2005	Indiana’s new education funding formula better, still in need of improvement
11/19/1999	Mayor Stephen Goldsmith to join Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation as Senior Advisor
10/4/1999	Kids Deserve a Chance, You Deserve a Choice