With 9,324 students signed up, Indiana’s voucher program, which provides tuition assistance for low- and moderate-income families to send their children to private schools, has more than doubled in size since its inception last school year.

And the local impact is similarly pronounced.

According to data released by the state on Tuesday, 555 students have transferred out of South Bend schools using vouchers.

That number was topped only by Indianapolis Public Schools and Fort Wayne, which lost 947 and 921 students, respectively.

Last school year, 178 students transferred out of South Bend schools via vouchers.

School funding in Indiana is directly tied to the number of students enrolled.
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