Indiana becomes the latest state to receive flexibility from Trump on federal education spending

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is giving Indiana more flexibility to decide how to spend federal grant money; this state became the third state to receive such exemptions. Education Department as it aims to “return education to the states.”

Indiana’s plan would combine $50 million in federal money from five funding streams into one source with fewer spending restrictions. exemptions for federal spending It was awarded to Iowa and Louisiana earlier this year. State officials said the waiver would reduce costs related to compliance and certification by about $20 million.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon endorsed the state’s plan at an event in Indiana on Tuesday, joining state Education Secretary Katie Jenner and Republican Gov. Mike Braun.

Jenner said the state welcomes the expanded control over federal money.

“As a state, we have significant control over education; we set the standards, we can choose our curriculum, we can design our assessments,” Jenner said. “But our hands have always been tied when it comes to federal funding. Until now.”

The Department of Education sends billions of dollars to American schools each year, based on funding levels set by Congress. The money makes up a small but critical portion of most school district budgets and comes from dozens of separate grants and funding streams earmarked for specific purposes.

Waivers from the federal government have been offered for years and have been widely used during the pandemic. Under the Trump administration, swore to dismantle The Federal Department of Education has gained traction as a new way to reduce the federal footprint in state and local education decisions.

Indiana’s waiver is also the first by the Trump administration to allow changes to accountability systems and allow Indiana to reduce the weight of academic indicators in school performance scores.

However, the ministry can only allow so much flexibility. Indiana’s request sought to create a school choice program by giving money earmarked to improve low-performing districts to higher-performing districts that enroll students from other schools, but it was rejected.

An Education Department official said the proposal was not approved because it would change how funds are allocated to recipients and would be a clear restriction on the secretary’s waiver authority.

Iowa’s plan faced similar obstacles. The state was initially seeking flexibility for large grants like Title I, which sent more than $100 million to Iowa schools with high percentages of low-income students and combined 10 funding streams into a single grant. The department approved a much smaller exemption; It collapsed four funding streams totaling $9.8 million for programs that fund teacher training, English language learners, after-school programs and academic enrichment.

More waivers are likely to come as a handful of Conservative-led states have either expressed interest or submitted their own proposals for more flexibility.

President Donald Trump’s administration has described the waivers as an effort to empower state leaders and minimize administrative burdens.

At the same time, Trump supported one person. The growing school choice movement. States use taxpayer money to fund children’s private school or homeschooling expenses, encouraging them to drop out of public school. The federal government is preparing to launch its own school choice program next year.

Programs supported by federal money, such as supplemental funding for rural schools, low-income schools, and English language learners, often support disadvantaged students.

Critics say without these clear definitions, money intended for vulnerable populations can be funneled into more general spending initiatives that don’t specifically address the challenges these students face. The three waivers approved so far have diverted funding for English language learners into a larger spending pool.

The Department of Education also approved Indiana’s request for a unified school accountability system based on state-developed metrics. The new system focuses more on college and career preparation.

Denise Forte, CEO of EdTrust, a group that advocates for equity in education, criticized the waiver and new accountability system for limiting transparency and accountability and diminishing the importance of reading and math scores.

“The Department of Education will allow Indiana to rewrite its accountability system in a way that masks student performance and diverts millions of dollars away from students who need it most,” Forte said in a statement.

____

The Associated Press’s education coverage receives funding from several private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards to work with philanthropists list Number of supporters and funded coverage on AP.org.