FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lance Gideon, Press Secretary
Lance.Gideon@iga.in.gov
317-234-9221
STATEHOUSE (March 25, 2025) — Two education bills supported by State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) progressed through the Indiana General Assembly today.
Senate Bill 249, which was authored by Deery, would provide meaningful salary increases for top teachers in high-need subject areas. The bill passed out of the House of Representatives today by a vote of 65-29.
In 2019, Indiana's governor appointed 13 Hoosiers to lead the Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission, which was tasked with recommending ways to achieve more competitive teacher pay in the state. SB 249 was written based on one of the recommendations from the commission.
"Local school leaders need every tool we can give them to recruit and retain high-quality teachers, especially in persistently hard-to-fill areas such as STEM and special education," Deery said. "This bill gives school boards, superintendents, and principals greater local flexibility to pay some teachers more if market forces demand it."
House Bill 1498, which was sponsored by Deery, would require the State Board of Education to create a new system for annually determining the performance of schools across Indiana. The bill passed out of the Senate today with bipartisan support of 43-4.
Under the bill, the board would have the flexibility to create and implement a new A-F accountability system that maintains high academic standards while also considering the knowledge, skills and experience that lead to student success.
"Parents have a right to know how schools are performing in preparing students for the future," Deery said. "This bill will give parents the ability to see how their child's school is performing and compare that with neighboring schools."
The bill ensures continued transparency in school performance by requiring the state to continue issuing school report cards while the new accountability system is developed.
Because the bills were amended, they now move back to their original chamber for further consideration.
Deery encourages residents of Senate District 23 to contact him with any questions or comments they may have. Deery can be reached by filling out a "Contact Me" form online at www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Deery or by phone at 800-382-9467.
-30-
To track these and other bills Deery is supporting, click here.
State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) represents Senate District 23,
which includes Fountain, Parke, Vermillion and Warren counties,
and portions of Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
