Back to School: What's New in Indiana Education

As Hoosier students return for the 2025-2026 school year, it's important to know what changes will come and what steps Indiana has taken to strengthen our education system and support student success.

This year, Senate Republicans supported several education-related measures to improve our K-12 education system, including the following efforts.

• Increasing teacher pay to better support the educators who play a vital role in shaping Hoosier students' futures
• Enhancing school safety commissions to help schools maintain safe learning environments
• Improving math instruction to better prepare students for success in the classroom and beyond by providing early math support, expanding advanced classes and raising teacher training standards
• Helping address Indiana's teacher shortage by creating a streamlined pathway for STEM graduates who also completed some education coursework to earn a teaching license
• Expanding Indiana's school choice program to ensure all families have the flexibility to choose an education path that best meets their child's needs
• Standardizing how absences are tracked to help identify and address the root causes of chronic absenteeism in Indiana

In addition to these efforts, the state's new budget also increases the K-12 tuition support formula by $960 million over the next two years compared to fiscal year 2025.

Education is one of Indiana's top priorities, which is why nearly 50% of the state's General Fund budget goes toward investing in our K-12 system. As the school year begins, Senate Republicans will remain focused on finding more ways to empower families, students and teachers so our next generation is prepared for long-term success.