Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates $7 billion for elementary and secondary education for fiscal year 2009-2010, and issues various amendments to the state's education statutes.

Highlights:

-Appropriates $7 billion for elementary and secondary education for fiscal year 2009-2010, including, but not limited to, the following allocations (Sec. 2):

-$6.52 billion, including $100 million from the State Tuition Reserve Fund, for tuition support; -$86.5 million for full-day kindergarten; -$81 million for levy replacement grants; -$45 million for textbook reimbursement; -$41 million for remediation programs; -$38.4 million for special education in preschool, to be distributed to guarantee a minimum of $2,750 per child; -$24.75 million for special education services for school aged children; -$18.36 million for summer school; -$18.2 million for costs associated with the Marion County desegregation court order; -$14 million for adult education; -$13.81 million for professional development; -$13 million for the Gifted and Talented Education Program; -$10 million for new facility adjustment; -$8 million for the Non-English Speaking Program; -$6.38 million for alternative schools; -$6 million for transfer to the Hearing Aid Fund; -$5.4 million for the National School Lunch Program; -$5 million for the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications System; -$4.96 million for graduate exam remediation; and -$4.72 million for the Early Intervention Program and Reading Diagnostic Assessment.

-Increases the maximum state distribution for all school corporations from $6.51 billion for fiscal year 2008-2009 to $6.59 billion for fiscal year 2009-2010 (Sec. 15). -Reduces the anticipated reduction of property tax revenue necessary for a school corporation to be eligible for a levy replacement grant from 2 percent over the previous fiscal year to 0.15 percent over the previous fiscal year (Sec. 16).

Full Bill Text