Sen. Alting has introduced SB 235 which redirects sports wagering revenue from the general fund to a teacher salary increase grant fund. To be eligible for a grant, a school corporation has to provide verification that it has raised full-time teacher salaries by at least 2% in the upcoming contract year at the time the school is applying for the grant. Grant money can be used only for the purpose of funding increases in the salaries to full-time classroom teachers. According to the fiscal note, the revenue from sports wagering is anticipated to be $11.5 million for fiscal year 2021. The Department of Education would be responsible for administering the grant program and setting rules about the amounts awarded and the criteria for grant applicants.
Have you heard anything from him about the districts that continue to lose funds from the complexity index, and would be unable to able to meet the bill standards since they lost overall funding?
Funding for at risk students (via the complexity index) is down 40% in the last decade when adjusted for inflation.
Sad commentary that teacher raises are to be paid for by sports wagering, rather than a substantial public investment. Maybe teachers should sell baked goods at traffic lights when the $11.5 million doesn’t cover it.