The Indiana House of Representatives recently voted in support of legislation to fully fund all K-12 public school students for the 2020-21 school year, regardless of whether students attended classes in-person or virtually due to COVID-19, according to State Rep. Sean Eberhart (R-Shelbyville).

Eberhart said the pandemic caused many traditional public schools to shift from in-person classes to remote learning. Under current law, schools receive 85% of tuition support per virtual student, which is defined as a child learning 50% or more of their instruction online.

This means many schools would qualify for the lower funding amount because of moving classes online. This legislation, which now advances to the Senate for consideration, would help mitigate requirements under current law and allow K-12 public schools to receive 100% funding for each student, whether they attended classes in-person or virtually.

"This proposal is quickly working its way through the legislative process," Eberhart said. "We know Indiana schools deserve to be fully funded after working hard to educate our students during the pandemic."