Good day, CharterFolk.
Today we are pleased to share a Contributor Column from Bob Behning, State Representative from House District 91 in Marion County, Indiana.
We provide a bio for Representative Behning below.
State Rep. Bob Behning has served in the Indiana House of Representatives since 1992 and represents House District 91, which includes a portion of Marion County. He was born and raised in Indianapolis and has been a proud Hoosier his entire life. In 1976, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University.
Throughout his tenure as a representative, he has advocated for education reform in Indiana. As chair of the House Education Committee, he led a multiyear effort to successfully pass the most comprehensive education reform package in the United States.
Behning believes all parents deserve the right to choose the school that best meets their child’s needs. In 2011, Behning authored legislation creating the School Choice Scholarship program, providing families who do not have the financial means to pay the cost of tuition at a private school with a scholarship (or voucher). Indiana currently has the largest school voucher program in the United States.
Behning currently works at Marian University as the assistant vice president and director of the Center for Vibrant Schools. He has been married to his wife, Rosalie, for more than 40 years and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Why Other States Should Take Notice of Indy’s Education Alliance
Indiana’s capital city is home to a unique public education ecosystem. Over the past 20 years, the schools within the Indianapolis Public School boundaries have evolved from a traditional district model to the most diverse and dynamic landscape for parental public school choice in the state. During this time, Indianapolis education advocates and stakeholders have learned a lot and have refined the playbook for expanding educational opportunity. This vital work continues today as a bipartisan group of stakeholders leans into the promise of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC).
Earlier this year, I authored House Enrolled Act 1423 to establish IPEC, which aims to more fairly serve the students attending school within Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries. With early-stage implementation underway, I am optimistic about the future of the educational core of our city.
Within IPS, families can choose to enroll their student into a traditional, district operated school, an innovation network school, or a public charter school. With more and more families choosing to enroll in an innovation network school or public charter school – 62% as of the 2025-2026 school year – it became essential to rethink the way we oversee and support the collection of schools serving more than 44,000 students.
These innovation network schools and charter schools operate with greater autonomy paired with clear accountability, but do not enjoy the same financial resources as their traditional public school peers. For many non-traditional public schools, there is little to no funding available to cover the everyday expenses of operating a school. These schools must think creatively to cover costs related to building maintenance and transportation, especially when larger, routine expenses occur like repairing heating and cooling systems.
Indiana’s legislature took a major step toward funding parity for innovation and charter school students in 2025, when we put a timeline in place for the proportionate sharing of local revenues raised to support school operations.
Now, IPEC will take the next step by ensuring decisions are made with the needs of all public school students in mind while more effectively allocating financial resources, better managing operational responsibilities, including student transportation and school facilities, and ensuring all schools are held to the same high standards.
These reforms are about more than governance. They are designed to strengthen student outcomes by ensuring every public school has the resources, support, and accountability needed to succeed. One way IPEC will accomplish this is by making decisions regarding the allocation and closure of school facilities through the lens of each school’s academic performance and financial stability with the ultimate goal of building a flexible and accountable system of schools delivering academic excellence.
It’s also important to note that Indianapolis already has a well-documented history of achieving meaningful academic gains, particularly for students from historically underserved backgrounds. In fact, Indianapolis charter school students are achieving growth that surpasses the statewide public school average.
These results reinforce that thoughtful structural reforms, paired with strong accountability, can expand opportunity while improving outcomes for all students.
I know my role as a lawmaker is an important one, and I remain committed to working with colleagues and partners across the state to build on this foundation and move Indiana forward. However, a lawmaker’s role pales in comparison to the work done by the many talented educators and education stakeholders who take the laws we pass and turn them into meaningful outcomes for kids.
Indianapolis’ education story is still being written, and I remain committed to continuing this work in the legislature. In the meantime, I hope leaders elsewhere will allow our story to inform their efforts and inspire them to face the tough challenges in order to deliver the highest quality educational opportunities for students. When policy and purpose align and are sustained over time, we can transform systems and lives.