Indiana

NCAI Region: Northeast

State Public Education Department: Indiana Department of Education

State Average Per Pupil Funding: $11,342

Charter Support Organizations: Indiana Charter Schools Network

Year Charter Law Enacted: 2001

2020 Model Law Ranking: 1

Estimated Number of Charter Schools: 104

Estimated Number of Charter Students: 49,813

Indiana law creates a $750 per-pupil facilities allotment for charter public schools that must be used primarily for facilities and transportation purposes, provided the schools meet performance expectations. Indiana law establishes a charter school facilities assistance program to make grants and loans to charter public schools for the purpose of constructing, purchasing, and renovating charter school facilities. The state is not currently funding this program.
Indiana law provides that a local school board must make available for lease or purchase to any charter school any of its buildings previously used for classroom instruction that is not used in whole or in part for classroom instruction at the time the charter school seeks to lease the building or it appears on the list of available school buildings compiled by the state department of education. The law provides that if a charter school wishes to use a school building on the SEA’s list, the charter school must send a letter of intent to the department. The department must notify the school district of the charter school’s intent, and the school district that owns the school building must lease the school building to the charter school for $1 per year for as long as the charter school uses the school building for classroom instruction or for a term at the charter school’s discretion or sell the school building to the charter school for $1.
Indiana law establishes a charter school loan program that allows charter schools to borrow up to $5 million each at one percent interest for facilities and a wide range of educational needs. Qualification for the loan is based on the same performance criteria used to receive the facilities allotment. The state is not currently funding this program.
Indiana law grants charter schools located in Indianapolis the ability to obtain facilities financing from the local public improvement bond bank and all other charter schools the ability to obtain financing through the Indiana Bond Bank. Indiana law provides that charter schools have the moral obligation pledge of the City or State to debt issued through these authorities.