By State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper)
Every two years, members of the Indiana General Assembly must come up with a balanced two-year budget to fund state government.
The budget we passed this year is not only balanced, but also practices fiscal responsibility and promotes strong government oversight.
At nearly 50% of the overall budget, funding for K-12 education is our state's most important expenditure in the state's next budget.
With uncertain economic times ahead, and a challenging revenue forecast in April, the legislature made a concerted effort to tighten the state's belt and reduce the budget of most state agencies.
Even with the lower-than-expected revenue forecast, the General Assembly was still able to find ways to not only fully fund K-12 education but also increase tuition support by providing a $960 million increase over the next two years.
In addition, this year I was one of the authors of Senate Enrolled Act 146, which requires school districts to spend more of their tuition support on teacher salaries and benefits and increase the starting teaching salary in Indiana from $40,000 to $45,000 per year.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, I was happy to see these efforts put into place so that schools across Indiana receive the investment they need to educate Hoosier students so they are prepared for their futures.
As always, constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns by email at s48@iga.in.gov or by phone at 1-800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48,
which includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
