Indiana senate leader’s letter sends shock waves to schools opening online
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — I-Team 8 obtained a copy of the letter that Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray sent out to school leaders across the state this week.
The Republican senator from Martinsville wrote in the letter, “State law stipulates that schools will receive 85% of normal foundation funding, for any student who receives at least half of his or her instruction virtually.”
Foundation funding is the money from the state school districts receive, which is $5,548 per student this year.
As of Friday morning, there were close to 40 school districts that have opted to begin the school year virtually during the coronavirus pandemic. Janet Chandler is president of the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association. HSE will begin the school remotely, and Chandler says Bray’s letter is 180 degrees from the message sent by Gov. Eric Holcomb all summer.
“When I saw the letter I remember back in July and listening to Gov. Holcomb talk and saying schools would not be penalized for virtual instruction. They would receive no reduction in funds,” Chandler said.
Beech Grove Schools is also starting the year in virtual classrooms. Tom Keely, Beech Grove’s assistant superintendent, told I-Team 8 the letter provides some much-needed guidance.
“So to have the funding for virtual during a pandemic time also tied to in-person learning to be able to get 100%, I really think it is a very transparent letter that just, you know, instead of having rumor going on out there, it provides us with an opportunity to have something in writing,” Keely said.
Jennifer McCormick, Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction, took exception to the letter in a statement: “I urge Governor Holcomb to honor the promise he made to Hoosier children to provide sustainable funding to K-12 schools, by calling a special session to address this concern. We must do better for our children and families.”
Late this afternoon, Holcomb sent an email to I-Team 8: “As I’ve said before, I am committed to providing 100 percent funding to schools as they navigate the unprecedented challenges of opening the academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many schools are returning with classroom instruction thanks to the herculean efforts of our public health officials, educators, students, parents, and communities. They all need our support now more than ever.”
State Sen. Greg Taylor, an Indianapolis Democrat, is asking the governor to call legislators back to the Statehouse and fix the problem.
“I’m concerned when school districts have to make a decision between children’s health and finances there is no equilibrium that will work in that scenario I’m very surprised that our president pro tem decided to, what I believe, send a warning to school districts that if they go remote, they are going to lose funding,” Taylor said.
Late this afternoon, I-Team 8 received a letter from the Bray to clarify his letter from earlier in the week. “Earlier this summer, my leadership team agreed with other state leaders, and still agrees, that schools should receive full funding for virtual students in the next school year for families who choose not to send their children in person due to fears surrounding COVID-19.
“In June, as the number of COVID-19 cases was declining and Indiana continued to reopen, no one I spoke to was contemplating the idea that school districts would not offer any in-person instruction at all for the upcoming school year.
“In the past week, a number of internal conversations made it clear that it had become conventional wisdom among schools that they would receive full funding for virtual students even if remote learning was their only method of instruction for the school year. Since this was not something my leadership team or I had considered, I felt it was necessary to clarify that agreement, because the underlying existing law says students receiving at least half of instruction virtually will only be funded at 85% of the foundation amount. We can all agree that we should support our students, teachers, schools and families, but it is important to keep in mind that the funding law predates COVID-19 and that all of the funding issues we are discussing now will ultimately require legislative action.
“My letter was neither intended as a change in position, nor as a threat to schools who are choosing not to reopen to in-person instruction, but as a clarification of previous comments. Schools are making significant reopening decisions, and I feel the clarification I provided in my letter is important for school leaders to know so they can make fully informed decisions that will work best for their districts. I believe it is better to communicate this now rather than to wait until the next time the legislature is in session after schools have already been operating under the reopening decisions they make for the fall.
“I am happy to continue the conversation about how those schools that do not offer an in-person option for students are funded.”