Indiana House bill could make it easier for voucher schools to start

House Bill 1384 both makes it easier for a school to enter the voucher system in Indiana and for schools in the system already to have more leniency when it comes to failing school grades.

Currently, non-public schools can’t be accredited the first year they operate in Indiana, which also means they can’t qualify for voucher money. This bill would enable schools to receive accreditation and vouchers during the first year.

“One of our fears is by opening up our voucher program to schools that have not been in our state before -- have not previously been accredited here -- is we could be opening it up to the wild, wild West,” said Joel Hand, a lobbyist for Indiana Coalition for Public Education. “We already have an issue with a number of private schools that accept vouchers that aren’t performing well. Now we’re talking about potentially bringing in schools from out of state that have no record here in Indiana (and) giving them a free reign to vouchers right from the get go.”

Caitlin Bell, vice president of policy and government affairs for Institute for Quality Education, a pro-school-choice organization, said allowing schools to accept vouchers immediately helps them get started. She mentioned Fugees Academy, which caters to refugee children in Georgia, as an example of a school that already has a record in another state and could be successful in Indiana.

The legislation also adjusts the consequences for voucher schools that are failing. Now, if a voucher school receives a D or F on the state report card for two years, they cannot receive any new voucher students until after they bring their grade up. The schools can still, however, maintain their existing student base.

This bill allows those schools to appeal to the state board and waive consequences if they demonstrate the majority of the school’s students have since academically improved.

Supporters of the measure say it lines up with the rules allowing for both charter and public schools to appeal to the state board. Both charter and public schools receive consequences after four years of an F grade.

“It’s not an automatic waiver for any school,” Bell said. “They’re required to show growth, just like we would for any other schools.”

But opponents, such as Sally Sloan from American Federation of Teachers Indiana, feel the state has gone back on its word to ensure voucher schools provide top tier education.

“When vouchers first came into being we were told it’s important that these private schools get the opportunity because they’re going to provide so much better education,” Sloan said. “Well we find out that’s not the case.”

John Elcesser, the executive director of Indiana Non-Public Education Association, said he had nine schools receiving some form of consequence this year, and five or six would be eligible for an appeal if this legislation had been in place.

He used Turning Point Schools as an example. The non-public school entity in Lawrence, Indiana, received a D two years in a row. Even though they brought up their grade to an A the following year, they still cannot accept new voucher students for an additional year.

“We are by no means trying to skirt the accountability provision in the law,” Elcesser said. “Even though it is quite challenging, we don’t want bad operators in the program either. And this language protects against chronically failing schools to access an appeal because to be eligible the schools have to demonstrate that a majority of their students have demonstrated improvement.”

This is the second time this legislation session lawmakers have attempted to pass language that opponents say would strengthen the voucher program. The House had added language to their pre-kindergarten funding bill that would have allowed for those attending On My Way pre-K to be eligible to receive vouchers a year early.

The Senate has since stripped that language out of the bill.

The Senate Education and Career committee is expected to amend and vote on House Bill 1384 on Wednesday. The measure was already approved in the House by a 60-32 vote.