A proposed expansion of Indiana's private school voucher program would be scaled back under the new state budget plan from state Senate Republicans, while still boosting the program's spending by about 25 percent.

Indiana Senate Republicans unveiled their $36 billion two-year state budget proposal Thursday making a number of changes to the Houses K-12 funding plan and focusing heavily on one-time spending.

The proposed K-12 funding plan in Indianas next two-year state budget adds $378 million but some school leaders argues it is plan that emphasizes equal funding over equity.

House Bill 1005 would expand the state's school voucher program and create a new funding option for some families not enrolled in public schools.

More than one-third of the proposed state funding hike for Indiana schools could go toward the state's private school voucher program under a Republican-backed plan that could boost the program's cost by nearly 50 percent over the next two years.

A bipartisan group of former Indiana education chiefs are speaking out against Republican-led legislation to expand the states private school voucher program.

The overall growth of Hoosier students using publicly-funded vouchers to attend a private school remains relatively flat as the cost increases, according to a just released report.

Indianas first openly gay state senator, J.D. Ford (D-Indianapolis), filed the bill for the second year in a row, this time with support from the states schools chief.

Some of the claims made during last week's teacher rally at the Statehouse lacked context of the state's complicated method for distributing money.

The Education Law Center, and Southern Poverty Law Center will combine resources for litigation, advocacy, and research efforts focused on voucher programs across the U.S., including Indiana.