Pence signs law expanding school voucher eligibility

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mike Pence enthusiastically approved legislation Thursday loosening a requirement that students attend public school for at least one year to qualify for a private school voucher.

Pence signs two-year Indiana budget

INDIANAPOLIS | Republican Gov. Mike Pence on Wednesday signed into law Indiana's $30 billion, two-year state budget that keeps spending increases below the inflation rate and provides Hoosiers more than a billion dollars in tax cuts.

General Assembly wraps session distinguished by cooperative tone

INDIANAPOLIS | Hands were shaken, hugs were shared and state lawmakers, who spent the past four months passionately opposing each other in great and small policy debates, were all smiles Saturday morning after House Speaker Brian Bosma gaveled out the 2013 Indiana General Assembly.

Senate OKs plan making more students eligible for vouchers

INDIANAPOLIS | The Senate approved a scaled-down expansion of Indiana's private school voucher program Wednesday that still will enable the number of voucher students to grow to an estimated 15,000 by 2015, from 9,000 this year.

Senate panel adjusts requirements to qualify for private school voucher

INDIANAPOLIS | Legislation expanding access to Indiana's private school voucher program was tweaked by a Senate committee Tuesday.

Senate committee shrinks voucher expansion plan

INDIANAPOLIS | A Senate panel scaled back a House-approved expansion of Indiana's private school voucher program Thursday by keeping most current eligibility requirements and only slightly increasing the value of a voucher.

Hoosiers cheer public schools at Statehouse rally

INDIANAPOLIS | Migdalia Romero and Emily Romero, the mother and aunt of students attending Lake Ridge Schools, joined nearly 300 parents, teachers and school leaders from across Indiana at the Statehouse Tuesday for a rally celebrating public education.

House honors retiring M'ville schools superintendent

INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana House honored retiring Superintendent Tony Lux of the Merrillville Community School Corp. Monday, unanimously adopting a resolution thanking Lux for his "years of dedicated service to the children of our state."

More school choice options touted, extending vouchers to kindergarteners

As the nation celebrates National School Choice Week today through Friday local and state school choice supporters said they'd like to see changes in the law to give parents even more options.

Ind. Supreme Court set to review constitutionality of private school vouchers

INDIANAPOLIS | Indiana's school voucher program, which has used state tax dollars to pay private school tuition for more than 13,000 elementary and high school students over the past two years, will be scrutinized Wednesday by the Indiana Supreme Court.

Public schools to get voucher-created savings

INDIANAPOLIS | Indiana public schools will divvy up $4.2 million in May, thanks in part to the state's private school voucher program.

Justices to hear school voucher appeal

INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Supreme Court will hear a direct appeal of a Marion County judge's ruling that Indiana's school voucher program is constitutional.

Marion County judge to rule on constitutionality of school vouchers

INDIANAPOLIS | A Marion County judge will decide in the next 30 days whether Indiana's school voucher program is constitutional.

Researcher: Ind. education reforms not likely to improve achievement

A top education researcher at Indiana University says when the results of these reforms are analyzed in years to come, don't be surprised if student achievement is about the same as it was before the politicians shook up the system.

Coalition organizes to defend public schools

INDIANAPOLIS | More than 100 supporters of traditional public schools decided Saturday they won't stand idly by as state funds pay for private school tuition and Indiana classrooms are turned over to for-profit corporations.

Teachers union seeks trial on vouchers

INDIANAPOLIS | The state's largest teachers union will not appeal a judge's denial of a temporary injunction it sought to halt Indiana's new school voucher program.

School voucher program clears first legal hurdle

INDIANAPOLIS | The state's new school voucher program, which gives Hoosier parents tax dollars to pay student tuition at private elementary and high schools, cleared its first legal test Monday.