State Rep. Wright: “Legislators should be working to secure resources, not taking them away”

INDIANAPOLIS – State Representative Melanie Wright (D-Yorktown) today commented on Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray's letter reversing prior promises from Governor Eric Holcomb to fully fund schools returning virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sent after dozens of schools have already planned for or welcomed back students, Bray said schools offering only virtual instruction should plan on operating with significantly reduced funding.

Current budget guidelines state that students receiving half or more of their education virtually will receive only 85% of the funding allotted to traditional students. Holcomb previously promised schools would not face cuts; however, the commitment to holding K-12 schools to pre-pandemic rules would mean school districts offering only virtual instruction would receive about $850 less per student.

“Schools have swiftly answered the calls from state leadership to create a safe, productive learning environment under the guise that they would be fully funded regardless of their choices,” Wright said. “As a teacher who has recently returned to the classroom, I have seen firsthand COVID-19's impact on a school district and the many factors that have and will go into future instructional decisions. Legislators should be working to secure resources, not taking them away.”

Read the statement from Indiana House Democrats here: https://indianahousedemocrats.org/news-media/house-democrats-dismayed-as-statehouse-republicans-walk-back-promises-to-indiana-school-districts