My journey in education has been marked attending both public and parochial schools.  My kindergarten was in public school only because the Catholic schools at that time did not offer kindergarten, which in those days consisted mostly of painting and taking naps.

Grades 1-9 were spent in the Catholic school system of Indianapolis, St. Andrew grade school to start.  The first 8 years of primary schooling was taught mostly by the Sisters of Providence.  I recall a lay teacher for first and third grade, but if my memory serves my correctly that far back, I only had 2 lay teachers in grades 1-8.

So, my first 9 years of school were in the Catholic school system, including my Freshman year at Chatard High School.  I never quite fit in there.  It was mostly for financial reasons my parents decided Arlington High School was to be my destination for the sophomore year and ended up graduating there.

Why do I go through all that?  Because I have experienced education in the public and religious school systems.  I see value in both.

That is why moves by our Indiana state lawmakers have me concerned.  Public education is taking a back seat in our state and I find that a troubling development.

I was never totally happy with the fact that all the kids in my neighborhood went to the same public school and I went to a different (Catholic) school.  It just didn’t feel right.

I understand some people want a private education for their children for religious or other reasons.  But the public school system is one that is supported by all of us through our tax dollars.  It is an institution where the entire community has an interest in the system of public education succeeding.

That is why recent moves by the general assembly are, in my view, a step backward for our state.

Robert Stwalley is President of the Lafayette School Board and also serves as the President of the Indiana School Boards Association.  In a recent op-ed piece published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, here is his opening sentence.

“The Republican supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly is attempting to quietly gut public education and hope no one notices.”

Those are strong words from a man in Mr. Stwalley’s position.  He strongly argues that a particular interest group from outside the state has poured money into members of our General Assembly supporting private education vouchers over public school funding.

A February 11 story posted on Chalkbeat Indiana, by reporter Stephanie Wang, says the early draft of the state budget “would increase state funding for K-12 education by $378 million over the next two years — a 3.8% boost from this school year. The state would spread that increase across all Indiana public schools and a host of contentious education priorities while limiting funding to districts where poverty surges because of the pandemic.”

Those making the laws and fashioning our state budget should consider the importance of strong public school systems in every community throughout Indiana.  The latest increase in education funding will shift a large portion of the extra funds to vouchers supporting non-public schools.

I have seen the value of public and private education and both play a role.  However, it is the first responsibility of the state to ensure our public institutions are properly funded and I can think of only a few such institutions as important to our communities in this state than public schools.

Our legislators are in the early stages of putting together the 2-year state spending plan.  I would suggest you keep an eye on how our lawmakers treat public education during the most important exercise in decision making about priorities – the state budget.