Indiana Launches Anonymous School Safety Tip Line

Indiana is preparing to launch a statewide anonymous tip line for school safety concerns available to all K-12 schools starting in January. Separately, New Jersey has initiated a review of its school funding formula, a process that could impact districts like Newark and involves complex political and financial questions.

Indiana School Safety Tip Line

Indiana will launch an anonymous school safety tip line in January as part of a $1 million state investment. The program is optional and free for all K-12 schools, with monitoring provided 24 hours a day, year-round, by trained safety specialists.

Governor Mike Braun said the line will allow students, staff, and families to anonymously report bullying, threats, violence, or concerns about someone who may be struggling. The state's Office of School Safety, created last year, will handle outreach and education about the new system. Director Julie Smith emphasized that safety concerns persist beyond the school day, noting urgent tips will be escalated to designated school officials and emergency responders.

The Office of School Safety now oversees millions in annual safety grants, having absorbed the state's previous Secured School Safety Board. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita operates a separate anonymous reporting system called Eyes on Education, which focuses on complaints about curriculum or staff actions.

New Jersey School Funding Review

New Jersey lawmakers, Governor Mikie Sherrill, school leaders, and advocates agree the state's progressive school funding formula is outdated. The state education department is holding community forums and convening a steering committee to examine potential changes, a process Commissioner Lily Laux described as "a year of honest, statewide engagement."

A central question is determining the base cost to educate a child in New Jersey, a figure with huge financial consequences. The review occurs amid political tension, with Republican lawmakers targeting Newark Public Schools, the state's largest district, as a poster child for reform. Their calls intensified after a state audit found millions in excess state aid and questionable spending by Newark officials.

Newark school spokesperson Paul Brubaker stated the district agrees the funding formula needs reform but argued the audit's findings are separate from that policy discussion. Danielle Farrie, research director at the Education Law Center, said the audit highlights the state's responsibility to ensure education dollars are used effectively. She suggested New Jersey follow states like California and Maryland by adding accountability plans that require districts to outline how funding will improve outcomes.

Farrie noted the state's current formula, established by the School Funding Reform Act of 2008, was based on cost calculations from a quarter-century ago. She said the review must figure out what schools need today as costs rise, leading to the difficult question of how the state will pay for it.