Deadline for Indiana schoool voucher program approaching

INDIANAPOLIS — School voucher advocates are pushing to get as many Indiana children as possible into the state’s burgeoning program that helps pay private school tuition.

The second year of Indiana’s program doubles to 15,000 the number of students who can get the vouchers. Roughly 8,000 students had been approved for vouchers by late August. The application deadline is Friday.

Pro-voucher group School Choice Indiana is touting the state program and urging parents to apply.

The push to help more students attend private schools has spurred a countermovement from public school leaders. Public school leaders have bought billboards, aired radio ads and walked door-to-door in efforts to keep students from leaving their schools.

Indiana lawmakers passed legislation in 2011 giving the state the country’s broadest voucher program.