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Education and Workforce

Supporting Education at Every Level

Governor Holcomb believes that education is the key that opens the door to one’s dreams and future success.

That’s why with every budget, he has worked with the legislature to ensure that every Hoosier child has a strong educational start and that every Hoosier adult has the opportunity to obtain the skills they need.

The result? 

  • Indiana’s high-quality early learning program  — On My Way Pre-K — is now statewide, while income eligibility expansions will lead to 11,000 more Hoosier children being able to participate in it and similar programs.
  • Indiana now spends over $2 billion more on K-12 education than when Governor Holcomb first took office, a 30 percent increase.
  • Higher education funding has been rethought and is now outcomes-based, rewarding colleges and universities for keeping students in Indiana after graduation.
  • More than 33,000 Hoosiers have earned a Workforce Ready Grant-eligible certificate and now earn nearly $7,000 more per year, while more than 30,000 Hoosiers have been trained through the Employer Grant Training Grant program, earning over $4,000 more per year. Both are part of Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Jobs initiative. 

And to ensure that Hoosier students can learn in a safe environment, Governor Holcomb has worked with the legislature to increase school safety funding in every budget, now spending $16 million more per year on this vital effort than when he first took office.

Fast Facts

  • Under Governor Holcomb’s tenure, starting teacher pay in Indiana is nearing a statewide average of $60,000.
  • During the 2023 legislative session, Governor Holcomb led the charge in eliminating the hidden tax of textbook and curriculum fees for more than 1 million Hoosier students in traditional public and charter schools.
  • Over $170 million has been invested in efforts to increase literacy rates among third graders with a new focus on the “science of reading.”