Indiana
Indiana students face stricter attendance rules, new reading requirements
The Indiana Youth Institute said enhancing educational opportunities means more resources for underfunded schools, to help bridge learning gaps for all Indiana students. Photo by Adobe Stock.
By Joe Ulery
Indiana News Service
As students in Indiana head back to school, they will encounter some stricter classroom rules, including new reading requirements and a tighter absenteeism policy.
Advocates believe the new laws, enacted this year, will enhance the lives of young people.
Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the nonprofit Indiana Youth Institute, said a notable new state law mandates students who fail a reading assessment must repeat the third grade.
“Senate Bill 1, ‘Every Child Learns to Read,’ and really thinking about that third-grade literacy,” Silverman explained. “How are we going to continue to build a foundation so that all of our kids — particularly our youngest ones — get those strong early reading skills?”
The 2024 Indiana Kids Count Data Book revealed only one-third of Indiana fourth-grade students were reading at or above proficiency levels, marking a four-percentage-point decrease from the 2019 rate of 37%.
Also starting this fall, schools are required to report students who have 10 or more unexcused absences to the local prosecutor’s office. The new law may result in legal action against parents whose kids miss too much school.
Looking ahead to the 2025 Indiana legislative session, Silverman noted there is discussion to improve mental health services to address growing concerns among students and educators.
“We’ll continue to look at youth mental health and the services that are needed,” Silverman emphasized. “Many of our kids are suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies or contemplation, so we do know there’s already a lot of discussion about that.”
Silverman believes the changes could have a profound impact on the future of Indiana’s youth, providing them with more tools and support to succeed. She added her organization will continue advocating for changes aimed at creating more equitable environments for all children in the state.
RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.
Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.
The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.
She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.
The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.
Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.
Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police
Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.
Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
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