68 public Hoosier schools will shut down and become charter schools before July 1st of 2028, according to HB 1136. The bill was introduced on January 8th, 2025 by Indiana House Representative Jake Teshka and states if more than 50% of students attend schools out of their district by choice, the district must be dissolved.
“If more than half of the students in a school corporation are choosing not to attend its schools, its governance structure is clearly failing its students,” Teshkan said.
Charter schools continue to receive government funding but set their own curriculum, unlike public schools that use the state’s standards. Many Indiana educators disagree with the bill for this very reason. In a public school, the educators and school would be blamed for not teaching their students properly if they were to not follow the standards and curriculum set by the state. Compared to a charter school, if a student does poorly academically, the school will no longer hold the educator responsible, nor will the school . With no state-standard, schools will not be able to compare themselves to see how well or poorly they are teaching.
Currently, five districts are an active target for change: Gary Community School Corporation, Union School Corporation, Indianapolis Public Schools, Tri-township Consolidated School Corporation, and Cannelton City Schools. Certain individuals hope for these districts to switch over, while others disagree.
Both representatives and educators argue against the bill, claiming it is unreasonable. IPS (Indianapolis Public School) officials protest it threatens local authority and community control of public schools. Some believe that the underlying intention is for republics to achieve legislative aim. For nearly two decades, eliminating public education has been on the Republican agenda in Indiana. Not only will the students be affected, but educators will be, too. Within the five districts, more than 4,000 jobs will be lost, and more than 33,000 students will be affected. The vast majority of students and teachers agree that the bill is unaccommodating punishment. Students will be punished for not attending school by forbidding them to attend.
“It’s like rewarding a kid for bad behavior.” -Rep. Bob Behning, chairman of the House Education Committee
Educators admit that they are aware of the issues public education has. Though, the difference between them and politicians is that the teachers wish to find areas of weakness to improve them. Jake Teshka and others on his side want to stop providing access to equal education. While some teachers have a harsh disagreement to HB 1136, some are more lenient. The affected districts are commonly lower class and are populated by people of color. A handful of educators view it as they are taking advantage of the poor, or underlying racism. They question the benefit that charter schools will bring: high school graduation rate, college-placement rate/job-placement rate, and so on.
Putting opinions aside, the real answer to what the bill concerns is uncertain. There is a possibility that the charter schools will provide better education. A significant number of charter schools in America have students with high scores. However, there is an equal possibility of the education not improving. Charter schools are often very small and teach a selective number of children. It’s common for those with disabilities to not be included, very little diversity, and opinionated lessons.
Regardless of if a child is enrolled in a public school or a charter school, teachers recognize the importance of their life at home. The structure of a student’s home life will affect their performance in school, no matter where they are enrolled. Families and educators must work together for a child to be properly instructed. Unfortunately, families already struggle with such tasks. If the school changes in nearly every way, it will only be more difficult.
House speaker Todd Hudson has pointed out that the bill will be changed if it is passed through the legislature. He did not hint at what those changes would be. The current statements of this bill are not set in stone yet. There is still the possibility of the bill not being passed. Until then, the details of the bill may change. If approval happens, Teshka’s plan will be put into action before July 1st of 2028.
