Hoosier parents, educators clash over plan to remove income limits for school vouchers

Members of the Senate School Funding Subcommittee heard sharply divided testimony on House Bill 1001 — the budget provision that would remove income limits and expand eligibility for Indiana’s Choice Scholarship (voucher) program.

Proponents told the committee that the policy helps families access the schools they prefer and reduces administrative friction. Sophia Andrews, a parent whose son attends St. Thomas More Academy in South Bend, said the family benefited directly: “Universal vouchers would remove the burden on families to annually prove that they qualify by submitting tax documents to the school.” Andrea McLeod, a parent and school staffer, told senators the program had been essential for her family’s planning and that “there’s not a 1 size fits all” in education.

Opponents said expansion would shift limited state education money away from neighborhood public schools and would often subsidize families who can already afford private tuition. Diane Hannah of Carmel argued, “focus on fully funding Indiana’s…