IUN School of Education held a luncheon for school superintendents

School superintendents get update on legislative landscape for education

Contributed By: The 411 News

With a week remaining in the 124th session of Indiana’s General Assembly, legislators have whittled 742 bills introduced this session to 112 bills still alive in the Senate and 113 in the House.

Those numbers came from Dr. Jeff Butts at the Thursday, February 19th School Superintendents’ Luncheon hosted by the School of Education at IU Northwest. Dr. Butts is the Executive Director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.

“Of the bills introduced, ten percent or about 76 dealt directly with education. Still alive are 8 bills in the House and 10 bills in the Senate,” Dr. Butts told his audience of superintendents from school corporations in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties.

For Tri-Township Consolidated School Supt. Paige McNulty, cell phone usage is not just a school matter. “I have this conversation a lot at home, around the dinner table,” said McNulty, also the mother of school-age twins.

Under current state law, students are prohibited from using phones during instructional time, but they can use them during lunch and passing periods.

SB 78 requires schools to adopt a policy to ban students’ use of cell phones during the entire school day.

“The phone can be stored in their locker. It can be stored in their backpack, in their book bag,” Dr. Butts said.

“So I do agree with the new amendment that's been made that students can keep them on their persons as long as they're turned off or on mute,” McNulty said

“We are watching very closely Senate Bill 159 – the school technology plans – dealing with school devices issued to students,” Dr. Butts said. “It requires a school district to provide additional filtering opportunities for parents when the school issued device was not on school property.”

SB 159 passed the Senate but was not called in the House – automatically killing the bill.

Filters on the Chrome books issued to students prevent access to the Internet and social media platforms while in use at school. Parents want the additional filters applied when the devices are used at home.

Another bill on the IAPSS watch list – HB 1102, Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy services – was not called in the Senate after it passed the House. ABA therapy services are used by students diagnosed with autism.

“We, the association, believe very strongly in ABA therapy for students who are transitioning into our traditional public schools from private or home schooling,” Butts said.

The bill would permit certified behavior analysts and certified behavior technicians to provide applied behavioral analysis therapy services in the public school to a student in accordance with the student's special education program or plan.

Payment for the services would be through Medicaid or a private insurance provider, and only for a maximum of 90 days.

Dr. Butts hopes the language in HB 1102 will live on in another bill. “I'm not sure where yet, but I have a request to contact Senator Bray on my way home to talk about that language.” He said the School Board Association, School Business Officials Association and the School Principals Association are in support of ABA therapy services.

IUN’s School of Education is the leading teacher program in northern Indiana. Amanda Demmond, the school’s Academic Advisor for Graduate Programs invited the superintendents to attend the annual teacher recruitment fair in March.

“We have over 50 graduating students who will all be fully licensed that will be attending, and I have also invited students from other universities in the area as well, so we look forward to seeing you all there,” Demmond said.


Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation Superintendent Paige McNulty, (l-r), Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents Executive Director Dr. Jeff Butts, Duneland School Corporation Assistant Superintendent Robert McDermott, and IUN School of Education Interim Dean Mark Sperling

Story Posted:02/23/2026