More education leaders get behind push to lower Indiana's mandatory school age

Another leading education group in Indiana has come out in support of lowering the age at which children must start school to 5 years old. 

Lowering the compulsory school age is one of the Indiana State Teachers Association's top priorities for the upcoming legislative session, said ISTA President Teresa Meredith. 

"It was appalling to me when I realized the compulsory age was 7," said Meredith, a kindergarten teacher. 

Current Indiana law allows parents to keep kids home until they're 7 years old and wait to start formal schooling until the first grade. Meredith said about 7,000 eligible students don't show up for kindergarten. 

"When those children do show up in school, their experience is different than their peers," she said. "They're behind from the get-go."

ISTA, the state's largest teachers' union, joins State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick and some legislative leaders in calling for the change. McCormick outlined the Indiana Department of Education's priorities last month. 

"We are really pushing pre-k, allowing for a potential sabbatical at kindergarten and then starting up at 7?" McCormick said at a meeting last month. "There is just too much on the line."

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According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 34 states and the District of Columbia have a compulsory school age of 5 or 6. 

Lawmakers have previously sought to lower the age at which parents are required to start educating their kids but to no avail. Now, though, those lawmakers are hoping that with McCormick and others in education on their side, the conversation might be changing. 

Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, said he plans to file a bill that would lower the age in Indiana to 5 years old. He's filed it twice before but hopes this year will be different. 

Sen. Dennis Kruse, Republican chair of the Senate's education committee, declined to comment on the topic. His counterpart in the House, Rep. Bob Behning, did not address the compulsory school age specifically but said he's "willing to consider any legislation that is assigned to his committee."

A fiscal analysis from the Legislative Services Agency estimates the minimum cost of lowering the compulsory age to about $12 million per year. The states's annual education budget tops $7 billion. 

The school age is just one education-related topic that could be tackled in the General Assembly during its short session. 

ISTA is also pushing for the state to move to a single diploma system, ease licensing standards that have made it difficult for some would-be teachers to enter the field and put a pause on the state's accountability system while schools adjust to a new standardized test. 

ILEARN will replace the ISTEP test next year. The state's largest teachers' union is advocating for a pause on any consequences that could come down on school districts and teachers during the transition. It's common to see large drops in scores when a new test is introduced. 

ISTA has also joined with the Education Department in calling on state lawmakers to close a $9.3 million funding gap. This year's official student count, taken in the fall, exceeded state expectations, creating a $9.3 million shortfall from what was budgeted by lawmakers last year. The state either has to appropriate additional dollars to public schools, or shave a tiny bit from each school's allotment. 

"We are advocating legislators fulfill their commitment to the funding formula and to the schools," Meredith said. "We are advocating for that $9.3 million to be restored so that the children in our public schools get the services and supports that they've been promised."

Legislative leaders have expressed a desire to find ways to address that shortfall, rather than cutting money from schools. Last month, state Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, said Senate Republicans have "every intention" of trying to fix the problem.

“We’re going to take a long look at the count, then we’re going to discuss potentially moving some money in — even though it’s a non-budget year — to address that shortfall,” the Fort Wayne Republican said. 

Outlining more than a dozen goals for the upcoming year, Meredith said the group is realistic about how many of those things might actually see movement at the Statehouse. 

"In terms of our hopes, probably none of these are going to surface as key, leading bills," she said. "We're just cautious, trying to be hopeful. 

"You just never know in Indiana."

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.