A Senate panel has approved a bill that has been knocked by critics as reducing accountability for Indiana voucher schools.
The bill allows failing private schools to make an appeal to the state school board for a delay in consequences. It also creates a way for private schools to begin accepting voucher students in their first year. Public school supporters argue giving a failing voucher school a reprieve conflicts with the original purpose of the program.
Indiana’s voucher program allows parents to use public money to send children to non-public schools. It is one of the largest in the United States. With committee approval, the bill now goes to the full Senate.