INDIANAPOLIS – As Hoosier students go back to school, Governor Mike Braun is celebrating his administration’s wins on education.
“Hoosier students are headed back to school this year to an Indiana K-12 education system with choice and real-world value at the forefront, where parents are empowered to do what is best for their children, and public colleges with frozen tuition across the board for the first time ever,” Braun said. “We’re going to continue to build on these accomplishments and solidify Indiana as the national leader in parental choice and high quality education.”
Below is a recap of the major education accomplishments in Braun’s first six months in office.
Historic school choice expansion
Braun’s education philosophy is based on a simple idea: parents are in charge of their kids’ education. In year two of this biennium, the state will offer universal school choice, a major Freedom and Opportunity agenda priority secured in his first legislative session.
Increased base salary for Hoosier teachers
Under three bills signed into law this legislative session, Braun improved pay for teachers. He secured an increased base salary for Indiana teachers, ensured teachers in high-need content areas have higher pay, and instituted outcome-focused performance pay for high-performing teachers.
Increased school investment in Indiana budget
Even in an austere budget framework, Braun increased the K-12 tuition support formula to direct an extra $640 million to the classroom.
New diploma paths focused on Enrollment, Employment, or Enlistment outcomes
Indiana has now rolled out a first-of-its-kind new diploma system, where students have a clear path they can follow to be automatically accepted to many of Indiana’s great universities, or start a career path heavy on hands-on experience where students can get a foot in the door immediately upon graduation with Indiana’s top employers.
Other Education Wins
In addition to these major wins, Braun’s administration has instituted several other legislative reforms to make education more results-based and student-focused, such as the new A through F accountability rating system with a greater focus on how schools foster students’ unique skills and talents, ensuring high-quality evidence-based instructional materials for reading and math, and establishing the Office of School Safety.
Indiana’s education reforms are being noticed at the national level, according to Braun’s office:
“Indiana has been a leader in expanding school choice for K-12 students, and better student achievement results have followed,” said the Wall Street Journal editorial board. “Now Hoosier lawmakers are building on that success by further expanding access to private and charter schools in the state […] The key to choice success in the long run is letting the money follow the child no matter the school, public or private. Indiana has taken another step toward that ideal.”
Forbes magazine said,””At the request of Governor Mike Braun, all 15 of Indiana’s public colleges and universities have committed to freezing their tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students for the next two academic years.”
WLFI news added, “Indiana has been awarded the 2025 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation, recognizing its significant investments in literacy and the development of the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) dashboard. The award, presented by the Education Commission of the States, highlights Indiana’s commitment to education advancement.”