Hoosier State Today

State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Bedford) introduced a bill that would create a grant program to help children who are falling behind in school because of the pandemic.

“We are not only making up the loss for this year, but we are making up the loss since last March so a lot of our kids can be substantially behind and those probably most at risk are to be those kids that were already behind to begin with,” McNamara said, Eyewitness News 25 reported.

The news media noted that this was what inspired McNamara to craft House Bill 1008.

In-person learning has resumed and those who are lagging behind will have normal lessons complemented by in-house tutoring.

We always have a grade watch list and the D’s and F’s are definitely a little longer this year so we are trying to implement some in-house tutoring. We have a peer mentoring program,” explained Dr. Rasche, Eyewitness News 25 reports. “There are going to be achievement gaps across the board, we know that and we are seeing a little bit of it already so we definitely are going to need to make up some plans on how to bridge those gaps.”

House Representatives approved HB 1008 and it is now headed to the Senate for deliberation. If the Bill is passed into law, it will create a $150 million grant program. Students, schools and organizations will get resources to aid students who fall behind during the online learning period.

The Indiana Department of Education and the State Board of Education will decide eligibility for funds once the bill is passed.