Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that aims to prevent high school students from missing significant amounts of class time for religious instruction. The Senate proposal, Senate Bill 255, would allow older students to replace an elective course with religious instruction, while maintaining the current two-hour limit for elementary and middle school students. However, House Democrats have raised concerns that the bill could lead to daily absences and more than double the amount of time that can be spent away from traditional classes.
Sen. Spencer Deery, the bill’s sponsor, argues that the current law can result in students missing class for the equivalent of two and a half days each week, which is not beneficial for schools or students. He believes that his proposal would allow students to better manage their time and avoid missing instructional time for classes they are signed up for.
In a separate issue, the Senate committee advanced bills related to school grades and college sports. House Bill 1498 would bring back a statewide letter grade system for Indiana’s K-12 schools, while House Bill 1499 addresses literacy requirements for third grade students. Additionally, House Bill 1041, which would impose restrictions on collegiate sports teams based on gender, faced opposition from Democratic senators and advocates who argue that the bill unfairly targets transgender athletes.
The fate of these bills will be decided in future committee votes and on the Senate floor.
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