CHAPTER 1. EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
IC 20-33
ARTICLE 33. STUDENTS: GENERAL PROVISIONS
IC 20-33-1
Chapter 1. Equal Educational Opportunity
IC 20-33-1-1
Policy
Sec. 1. The following is the public policy of the state:
(1) To provide:
(A) equal;
(B) nonsegregated; and
(C) nondiscriminatory;
educational opportunities and facilities for all, regardless of
race, creed, national origin, color, or sex.
(2) To provide and furnish public schools open equally to all,
and prohibited and denied to none because of race, creed, color,
or national origin.
(3) To reaffirm the principles of:
(A) the Bill of Rights;
(B) civil rights; and
(C) the Constitution of the State of Indiana.
(4) To provide a uniform democratic system of public school
education to the state and the citizens of Indiana.
(5) To:
(A) abolish;
(B) eliminate; and
(C) prohibit;
segregated and separate schools or school districts on the basis
of race, creed, or color.
(6) To eliminate and prohibit:
(A) segregation;
(B) separation; and
(C) discrimination;
on the basis of race, creed, or color in public schools.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.225;
P.L.234-2007, SEC.117; P.L.3-2008, SEC.118.
IC 20-33-1-2
Schools open to all
Sec. 2. The public schools of Indiana are open to all children until
the children complete their courses of study, subject to the authority
vested in school officials by law.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17.
IC 20-33-1-3
Segregation prohibited; student tracking practices review
Sec. 3. (a) The governing body of a school corporation and the
board of trustees of a state educational institution may not build or
erect, establish, maintain, continue, or permit any segregated or
separate public schools, including any public school departments or
divisions on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin of
pupils or students.
(b) The officials described in subsection (a) may take any
affirmative actions that are reasonable, feasible, and practical to
effect greater integration and to reduce or prevent segregation or
separation of races in public schools for whatever cause, including:
(1) site selection; or
(2) revision of:
(A) school districts;
(B) curricula; or
(C) enrollment policies;
to implement equalization of educational opportunity for all.
(c) A school corporation shall review the school corporation's
programs to determine if the school corporation's practices of:
(1) separating students by ability;
(2) placing students into educational tracks; or
(3) using test results to screen students;
have the effect of systematically separating students by race, color,
creed, national origin, or socioeconomic class.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.226.
IC 20-33-1-4
Segregation prohibited; pupils
Sec. 4. (a) A student is entitled to be admitted and enrolled in a
public school in the school corporation in which the student resides
without regard to race, creed, color, socioeconomic class, or national
origin.
(b) A student may not be prohibited, segregated, or denied
attendance or enrollment in a public school in the student's school
corporation because of the student's race, creed, color, or national
origin.
(c) Every student is free to attend a public school, including a
department or division of a public school within the laws applicable
alike to noncitizen and nonresident students.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.227.
IC 20-33-1-5
Segregation prohibited; schools
Sec. 5. (a) A public school may not segregate, separate, or
discriminate against any of its students on the basis of race, creed, or
color.
(b) Admission to a public school may not be approved or denied
on the basis of race, creed, or color.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.228.
IC 20-33-1-6
Segregation prohibited; teachers
Sec. 6. A public school may not discriminate in any way in the
hiring, upgrading, tenure, or placement of a teacher on the basis of
race, creed, color, or national origin.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.229.
IC 20-33-1-7
Supplementary nature of chapter
Sec. 7. This chapter is supplemental to:
(1) all common law, statutory law, and civil rights applicable to
the public schools; and
(2) the rights and remedies arising from these laws of Indiana
and to Indiana's citizens.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.230.