La Porte Community Schools, School Board President Jim Arnold and Vice President Ryan Seaburg attended the Indiana School Boards Association’s fifth annual State House Day in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
The gathering featured briefings on the status of current K-12 education bills, discussions with legislative leaders and bill authors, and an opportunity for school board members to engage with their local representatives and senators.
The event opened with ISBA Executive Director Terry Spradlin and ISBA General Counsel Lisa Tanselle providing an update on bills affecting the education community and an overview of ISBA’s advocacy efforts and focus. ISBA President Tom Simpson then facilitated a panel discussion and audience Q&A about state policy and fiscal priorities with leadership from the four legislative caucuses. The morning sessions closed with a second panel discussion featuring the chairs and ranking minority members of the House and Senate education committees.
Over lunch, school board members were seated with legislators from their area, which gave attendees a great opportunity to share their personal stories and speak about the issues they care about. Finally, board members made their way across Washington Street to the State House for additional 1:1 meetings with lawmakers.
The annual event is part of ISBA’s Legislative Action Network, a program that leverages the unified voices of Indiana school board members to inform, influence, and shape sound education policy.