Committee passes school funding bill

INDIANAPOLIS — A bill passed Wednesday through committee in the Indiana House of Representatives would ensure annual funding for Jay Schools wouldn’t decrease because of its virtual students.

State Rep. J.D. Prescott (R-Union City), who represents Jay County as well as Randolph County and part of Delaware County, was among 24 to unanimously pass House Bill 1003 through the Ways and Means Committee in its first meeting of the legislative session.

“I’m very happy to see it has passed the House Ways and Means committee,” Jay School Corporation superintendent Jeremy Gulley said Wednesday afternoon, noting it’s one of the bills he’s had his eye on early in the session.

The bill would redefine how many in-person students a traditional brick-and-mortar school needs in order to qualify for 15% of its funding for the 2020-21 school year.

Jay Schools, like most other districts in the state, have allowed students to choose whether they want to attend school virtually or in-person. The bill, if signed into law, would ensure corporations wouldn’t be classified as a “virtual institution” for having students attend school online in the midst of a pandemic.

Gulley said he has been in discussion with Prescott and State Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle), who represents northeast Indiana including Jay County, on this provision as well as maintaining school funding in the upcoming budget bill, which will appropriate state funds for two years beginning July 1.

“We’re in hopes that we can see our revenues not be cut as a result of the COVID impact,” Gulley said.

Gulley said he hopes House Bill 1003 becomes law prior to the biannual enrollment count at the beginning of February. Speaker of the House Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said Monday that the provision will be fast-tracked through the legislative process.

An almost-identical bill was discussed but not voted on in the state Senate’s Education and Career Development committee Wednesday. Huston earlier this week said he was unsure if the House or Senate bill would be the one to ultimately be sent to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb.

During the Ways and Means committee meeting, Rep. Edward DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) proposed an amendment extending the bill through the 2021-22 school year in anticipation that students may still be attending school virtually next school year.

That amendment was later withdrawn after committee chair Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) said that extension is planned to be discussed during the deliberations over the budget bill as it would have implications on other funding matters for schools.

Gulley said it’s too early to anticipate if students will still attend school virtually in the 2021-22 school year but that funding should be whole as long as they do so as a result of the pandemic.

“If virtual is in demand, (those students) should be funded. … Until the pandemic is over,” Gulley said.

This was the first Ways and Means committee meeting for Prescott as a member. He said earlier this week that he was excited for the opportunity to serve on the committee and added it’s good for House District 33 to have a representative on the committee, especially in a budget year.

To make room for the assignment, Prescott will no longer serve on the House Agriculture and Rural Development committee, as he did for the previous two legislative sessions. He will continue to serve on the committee regarding environmental affairs.