State Rep. Jack Jordan: More flexibility for Hoosier schools

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 1:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

Indiana State Representative Jack Jordan (R-Bremen) said in a release that Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner submitted a waiver request to seek more flexibility from regulations included in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act last year. In June, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Indiana to announce the approval of the waiver. Jordan said, “This will allow Hoosier educators to consolidate federal funding streams, reduce the amount of required paperwork and align Indiana's new A-F accountability model with federal regulations.”

House Republicans have been focused on making high school more relevant for students who aren't planning to attend college but still need training and experience to find good jobs. Jordan said, “In 2023, we passed a law establishing new high school diploma options to give students more flexibility in their education, including the ability to participate in work-based learning opportunities.”

Jordan continued, “We've also made it a priority to reduce our own K-12 education regulations so schools have more control over local decisions.” In 2025, the General Assembly passed a law decreasing Indiana's education regulations by thousands of words. This year, House Enrolled Act 1004 continued that effort so teachers can focus more on educating our children.

Rep. Jordan said, “It's great to see the Trump Administration supporting these measures to ensure Hoosier students get a quality education no matter what their chosen path is after graduation and teachers can spend more time leading their classrooms and less on unnecessary red tape.”