STATEHOUSE (April 8, 2021) – Legislation to fully fund public school students attending school virtually this school year due to COVID-19 is now law, according to State Reps. Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) and Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh).
"Our students and educators worked extremely hard this year to adjust to in-person, hybrid and remote learning," Bartels said. "We could not have predicted how learning would be affected over the last year, and we needed to make changes to ensure schools received the funding they were promised in the last state budget. Regardless of how students learned due to the pandemic this school year, schools will receive full funding."
Without this new law, public schools would only receive 85% of tuition support per virtual student, which is defined as a child learning 50% or more of their instruction online. Bartels said this law provides 100% of the state's tuition support for students at public schools who have gone to virtual instruction for part or all of the 2020-2021 academic year, so long as those students weren't already learning virtually prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Schools took important steps to keep students, educators and staff safe throughout the pandemic," Ledbetter said. "As they balanced the needs of student learning and health concerns, they made investments in technology and personal protective equipment. With this new law, schools know their funding will not be impacted."
Senate Enrolled Act 2 is effective immediately. Visit iga.in.gov to learn more.
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State Rep. Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) represents House District 74,
which includes portions of Spencer, Dubois, Perry, Crawford and Orange counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) represents House District 75,
which includes portions of Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
