By Hope Shrum
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Republican majority in the General Assembly has come up with a compromise for schools to retain full funding if classes are taught virtually through part of this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That will, hopefully, bring about some ease and alleviate some of the concerns, some of that uncertainty about funding for our schools,” Holcomb said Wednesday at his weekly virtual COVID-19 briefing that was delayed by nearly 30 minutes because of technical issues.

The governor’s office released a statement earlier saying Holcomb will ask the Indiana State Board of Education, or SBOE, to push back the count date for student enrollment from September to December, thus securing 100% funding for all schools this year.

As schools are beginning to reopen across Indiana, there is widespread concern about reopening in person because the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths remaining high. Dr. Kristina Box, the commissioner of the Department of Health, said Indiana now has 76,522 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 671 from Tuesday, and 2,878 deaths, an increase of 15, plus another 208 probable cases.

Some schools, like IPS, the state’s largest, have opted to start the new academic year online to prevent the spread of the virus, while others are starting in person or operating with a hybrid system.

The concern about funding arose because of a letter Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, released last week discussing possible funding cuts to schools that do not provide in-person learning. He said the current law requires schools receive 85% of funding for students whose instruction is done 50% or more virtually.

Indiana schools receive finances based on the number of students in the classroom on a specific day in September. The governor’s hope is that by December, the majority of schools will be back teaching students in person rather than in a virtual environment.

“Obviously this is an illness of epic proportions, that we find ourselves in,” Holcomb said. “And so, we are recommending, over the coming days we want to make sure every t is crossed and every i is dotted, that the SBOE move that date back, therefore locking in that 100%.”

But Jennifer McCormick, superintendent of public instruction, said, “This delay is just that—a delay. Hoosier schools deserve a solution to secure 100% funding as districts are bargaining, budgeting, and preparing for the next 18 months.”

She said the department is reviewing the possible financial benefits and consequences of the governor’s proposed solution.

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, also said the governor is just delaying action. Referring to the state law that reimburses virtual schools at 85% of the per-pupil cost, he said that public schools could be hurt by the decision to delay solving the funding problem.

“Let’s be clear: the law in question was never intended to be applied to public schools operating virtually due to an unprecedented pandemic,” Melton said. “All this ‘solution’ does is kick the can down the road.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Woody Myers called for a special legislative session to deal with the funding issue and said Holcomb, by delaying action until December, is turning the Nov. 3 election in a referendum on school funding.

“Hoosier students are going to suffer with subpar funding that puts kids at risk and special interests in charge,” he said.

FOOTNOTE: Hope Shrum is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.