School vouchers big winners as Republicans unveil final budget plan

School vouchers big winners as Republicans unveil final budget plan found at WISH-TV | Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Lawmakers’ final spending plan released Wednesday includes a massive expansion of school vouchers and funding for the state’s new 988 system.

The budget is the result of a week of negotiations between the two chambers. Those negotiations got an unexpected shot in the arm last week when state budget analysts informed lawmakers Indiana should bring in about $1.5 billion more in tax revenue through the end of the 2025 budget year than they had estimated when budget-writing began in December.

Vouchers expand, so does pre-K

By far the biggest win for the House in the budget negotiations is an expansion of eligibility for the state’s school choice voucher program. Any family making up to 400% of the income limit for free or reduced-price school meals would be able to receive a voucher without any preconditions. That’s more than $200,000 per year for a family of four. The Senate had initially declined to include th...