Tuesday, January 13, 2026
For the third consecutive year, Indiana students are graduating at a record rate. The Indiana Department of Education recently announced the class of 2025 saw nearly 92% of Hoosier seniors graduate high school, an almost 2% increase from 2024.
This record comes on the heels of Indiana's dedication to working on education reforms to help improve student performance and promote success in grades K-12. Senate Republicans were proud to support many measures passed in recent years that have already had significant impact on the state's education system.
Along with the high school graduation rate record, elementary schools are seeing historic gains in reading scores. The Science of Reading curriculum passed in 2023 is helping improve teacher training on the fundamentals of reading instruction and providing necessary funding. Since then, Indiana students have ranked 6th in the country for best average reading scores on the nation's report card and an additional 6,000 students are passing the IREAD test compared to last year.
Legislators have continued to provide resources to keep Indiana as a national model for other states. In 2025, Senate Republicans were proud to support the passage of a new state budget that reduced overall state spending while still increasing funding for education by 2% each year to ensure schools got new state money to invest in their students, and education remains the biggest category of spending in the state's 2026-27 budget.
The new budget also keeps Indiana as a national leader in educational choice. Beginning with 2026 school year, every Hoosier family will be eligible for the Choice Scholarship program, and all families will have the freedom to choose the best education environment for their child to learn.
As the 2026 session continues, Senate Republicans remain focused on education reforms that promote success for all Hoosier students.
