Op-ed: A targeted attack on public schools: HB 1001, SB 1 and SB 518
This session, Republicans filed three bills that form a targeted, devastating attack on our public schools: House Bill 1001, Senate Bill 1, and SB 518. Together, these bills drain public schools of their financial resources.
Let’s start with HB 1001, the Republicans’ proposed budget that inadequately funds public schools. The House majority has touted a “2% funding increase” by providing $18.9 billion for K-12 education, but this is a bait and switch. Some public schools will receive a cut while others receive less than a 2% increase. HB 1001 continues to siphon taxpayer dollars to charters and private schools with $200 million for vouchers for the wealthiest 3% of Hoosier families. Indiana’s universal voucher program will cost nearly $1.3 billion over the next two years. For 2026 and 2027, Republicans also provide $744 million for virtual and brick-and-mortar charter schools, plus access to an additional $281 million in grants.
20 years of chronic underfunding from the Indiana GOP has left public schools with limited options to keep teachers in the classroom, the lights on and the buses running. Paired with the budget, SB 1 and SB 518 will only rub salt in their wounds.
Centered on their campaign promises, SB 1 is a Republican priority bill to lower property taxes. It’s a moving target that's failed to provide relief to homeowners in each of its versions. House Republicans are considering swapping the current language for HB 1402, which still fails to achieve their promise. Homeowners’ property tax bills would go up in 2027 and 2028, and schools would lose close to $518 million over three years. Each proposal has failed to address a key component of Indiana’s dilemma: Years of underfunding public education has shifted the burden to our homeowners. Instead of state dollars bolstering their local schools, homeowners' property taxes have risen to keep them afloat. Local property tax referenda are the only way some schools are covering costs.
Public schools will be inadequately funded and will lose property tax revenue, but the majority decided that’s not enough. If passed, SB 518 would require public schools to share property tax revenue with charters. Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) estimated that under SB 518, they would be forced to close at least 20 schools and let go of hundreds of staff. SB 518 would cost our schools a total of $124.4 million over three years. Our public schools do well, and I’m a proud alumnus of IPS. The majority has continued to push charters, ignoring their problems. In late February, another charter school CEO admitted to embezzling over $900,000. Every stream of revenue our public schools receive is undercut by the majority.
In his SB 1 testimony, Terry Spradlin, the Executive Director of the Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA), said school districts are “being squeezed on all sides.” Let’s ease the pressure on our school districts rather than squeezing them until they burst. House Democrats are committed to supporting the more than 90% of students who attend traditional public schools. We believe in public education, and we’re committed to real property tax relief that doesn’t harm our students. I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to support public education and stop the targeted attacks on IPS and our state’s other public school corporations.