The Indiana Department of Education is offering money to schools, nonprofits and employers to help shepherd students into high-wage careers. The state is calling it the Explore, Engage, and Experience grant.

School leaders were surprised by the change — lawmakers added the language during the final steps of the legislative process — and one of the state's largest school districts says some will be challenged by it more than others.

Indiana opened a statewide job board for schools this week. The state hopes to increase applications by making it easier to find and apply for jobs in one centralized portal. It's just one part of a broader strategy.

Mike Hosinski, 61, was set to appear in court Thursday, but waived his right to an initial hearing. Elkhart Superior Court Judge Teresa Cataldo set his next court date for late April and a bench trial for June 13.

Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe McGuinness is stepping down after more than five years leading the agency.

The Indiana Department of Education launches a database to track schools’ spending of pandemic relief funding. The state health department shuts down vaccine and testing sites during the winter storm. And statewide COVID-19 cases are down.

Indiana schools received a total of $2.8 billion in federal dollars through three rounds of stimulus. All of the aid is known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, and it must be spent by late 2024.

The Indiana Department of Education is reporting a slight uptick in student enrollment this school year, largely because of an increase of early elementary students.

Indiana schools received nearly $3 billion in pandemic relief. They are required to post plans for how they will use at least some of that money. This database links to those plans.

Indiana schools are getting nearly $3 billion in federal coronavirus relief to help safely operate and make up for the instruction students missed out on. But public information on how local districts are spending it is inconsistent and often hard to find.