Introduced Version
HOUSE BILL No. 1353
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DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 20-19-3-32.5; IC 20-26-11.
Synopsis: Education matters. Requires the department of education to
prepare a report to the general assembly compiling certain data over a
40 year period. Provides that the parents of any high school student
may request a transfer from a school corporation in which the student
has a legal settlement to a transferee school corporation in Indiana if
the student may be better accommodated by the athletics program
offered by the public schools of the transferee corporation.
Effective: July 1, 2024.
Morris, Behning, Morrison, Judy
January 10, 2024, read first time and referred to Committee on Education.
2024 IN 1353—LS 7015/DI 143 Introduced
Second Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2024)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
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Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
HOUSE BILL No. 1353
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 20-19-3-32.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA
2 CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS
3 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2024]: Sec. 32.5. (a) As used in this section,
4 "cohort" has the meaning set forth in IC 20-26-13-2.
5 (b) As used in this section, "graduation rate" has the meaning
6 set forth in IC 20-26-13-6.
7 (c) Not later than December 31, 2024, the department shall
8 prepare a report compiling data over a forty (40) year period from
9 July 1, 1983, through July 1, 2023, concerning kindergarten
10 through grade 12 students in Indiana. The report must include the
11 following information:
12 (1) What end of school year statewide test, evaluation, or
13 scoring metric was in place each year.
14 (2) What statewide academic standards were in effect each
15 year.
16 (3) For each cohort enrolled in a public school in Indiana the
17 average:
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1 (A) score concerning an end of school year statewide test
2 described in subdivision (1);
3 (B) SAT or ACT score; and
4 (C) graduation rate.
5 (d) Not later than January 1, 2025, the department shall submit
6 the report described in subsection (c) to the general assembly in an
7 electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
8 (e) The department, in conjunction with the state board, shall do
9 the following:
10 (1) Determine, based on the report prepared under subsection
11 (c), which surveyed year produced the highest scores and
12 graduation rates.
13 (2) Not later than the 2025-2026 school year, realign current
14 statewide academic standards to the standards in place during
15 the year determined in subdivision (1).
16 SECTION 2. IC 20-26-11-5.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA
17 CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS
18 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2024]: Sec. 5.5. (a) As used in this section,
19 "athletics program" refers to:
20 (1) an extracurricular competitive or noncompetitive activity;
21 or
22 (2) marching band.
23 (b) The parents of any high school student, or the student after
24 the student has become eighteen (18) years of age, may request a
25 transfer from a school corporation in which the student has a legal
26 settlement to a transferee school corporation in Indiana if the
27 student may be better accommodated by the athletics program
28 offered by the public schools of the transferee corporation.
29 Whether the student can be better accommodated depends on such
30 matters as:
31 (1) crowded conditions of the transferee or transferor
32 corporation; and
33 (2) athletics program offerings at the high school level that
34 are important to the aspirations of the student.
35 (c) The request for transfer must be made in writing to the
36 transferor corporation, which shall immediately mail a copy to the
37 transferee corporation. The request for transfer must be made at
38 the times provided under rules adopted by the state board. The
39 transfer is effected if both the transferee and the transferor
40 corporations approve the transfer not more than thirty (30) days
41 after that mailing. If the transferor school corporation fails to act
42 on the transfer request within thirty (30) days after the request is
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1 received, the transfer is considered approved. The transfer is
2 denied when either school corporation mails a written denial by
3 certified mail to the requesting parents or student at their last
4 known address.
5 (d) If a request for transfer is denied under subsection (c), an
6 appeal may be taken to the state board by the requesting parents
7 or student, if commenced not more than ten (10) days after the
8 denial. An appeal is commenced by mailing a notice of appeal by
9 certified mail to the superintendent of each school corporation and
10 the state board. The secretary of education shall develop forms for
11 this purpose, and the transferor corporation shall assist the parents
12 or student in the mechanics of commencing the appeal. An appeal
13 hearing must comply with section 15 of this chapter.
14 SECTION 3. IC 20-26-11-6, AS AMENDED BY P.L.30-2010,
15 SECTION 1, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
16 JULY 1, 2024]: Sec. 6. (a) A school corporation may accept a
17 transferring student without approval of the transferor corporation
18 under section 5 or 5.5 of this chapter.
19 (b) A transfer may be accepted regardless of whether, as a condition
20 of the transfer, the transferee school requires the requesting parents or
21 student to pay transfer tuition in an amount determined under the
22 formula established in section 13 of this chapter for the payment of
23 transfer tuition by a transferor school corporation. However, if the
24 transferee school elects to charge transfer tuition, the transferee school
25 may not offset the amounts described in section 13(b) STEP TWO (B)
26 through section 13(b) STEP TWO (D) of this chapter from the amount
27 charged to the requesting parents or student.
28 (c) When the transferee school elects to charge tuition to the
29 requesting parents or student, the tuition determined under subsection
30 (b) must be paid by the parents or the student before the end of the
31 school year in installments as determined by the transferee corporation.
32 (d) Failure to pay a tuition installment that is agreed to by the
33 parents or student and the transferee school corporation is a ground for
34 exclusion from school.
35 (e) If the transferee school elects not to charge transfer tuition to the
36 parents or student under this section, the transferee school may not
37 charge transfer tuition or fees to the transferor school.
2024 IN 1353—LS 7015/DI 143