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Elimination of textbook fees part of governor’s agenda

By Liz DeSantis

Posted January 18, 2023

Proposed record-breaking education investment could mean an end to costly textbook fees. (Liz DeSantis)

Gov. Eric Holcomb unveiled his promise of unprecedented investment in education in his State of the State address last week.

His plan includes a proposed $1.2 billion budget increase to bolster education amid record state revenue last year.

Part of Holcomb’s plan includes $100 million toward the elimination of textbook fees for public and charter schools and some private school students. These fees can range from $100-$250 per student per year and include use of computers, laptops and online materials.

Indiana is one of only seven states that charge parents these curriculum fees, and the state has discussed eliminating them many times in the last several years.

MCCSC Superintendent Jeff Hauswald says he hopes that this year will be different. He said Tuesday, “this has been a conversation for 20 years, but perhaps with high inflation, with record state revenue, perhaps this will be the year.”

However, despite his hope, he says that he is concerned about an unfunded or even underfunded mandate.

Indiana school corporations and the state already share responsibility for covering textbook fees for students that qualify for free and reduced lunch. However, Hauswald says that the state covers a little more than half of this cost—meaning around $1.5 million from MCCSC’s budget annually goes towards paying for these textbooks.

Read more: NAACP says more review needed on MCCSC racial equity policy

He says that if the student resources fund that the governor is calling for to fund the move do not cover the costs of all the students’ books, “we would have to have some serious conversation about where we're going to find that money.”

Indiana Association of School Boards Executive Director Terry Spradlin shares Hauswald’s concerns about underfunding. He said some states circulate textbooks for as long as 10 years, and said he is afraid that price restraints “pressure would diminish the quality of the textbooks.”

Holcomb’s legislative agenda also includes proposals for the expansion of On My Way Pre-K eligibility, increased teacher salaries and incentives for literacy programs, according to a press release.

Read more: Kids learn less-taught languages through IU program

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