As students return to classrooms for the new school year, Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s administration is highlighting several education initiatives that took effect this year. These initiatives include new cell phone restrictions, higher minimum teacher pay, and expanded school choice.

New Cell Phone Restrictions

Beginning this school year, Indiana public and charter schools must implement a bell-to-bell policy restricting students’ use of personal wireless devices under Senate Enrolled Act 78. Schools are required to either prohibit devices during the school day or require them to be powered off and stored out of reach.

The law applies to cell phones, smartwatches, gaming devices, and other personal wireless communication devices. Exceptions are allowed for students with individualized education programs, Section 504 plans, documented medical needs, and emergency situations.

Higher Minimum Teacher Pay and Expanded School Choice

Indiana’s minimum teacher salary has increased from $40,000 to $45,000. Schools are now required to spend at least 65% of their state tuition support on teacher compensation. Additionally, Indiana has expanded school choice eligibility statewide, allowing more families to use state-funded scholarships to attend participating private schools.

The governor’s office also pointed to recent academic performance, saying Indiana now ranks sixth nationally in fourth-grade reading, its highest ranking to date. According to the release, the state’s third-grade literacy rate increased to 87.3% in 2025, while the high school graduation rate reached nearly 92%.

Governor Braun also established Indiana’s first Office of School Safety, which is responsible for coordinating school security resources, developing safety guidance, and supporting threat assessment and prevention efforts.

The state is also rolling out a new high school diploma framework focused on three post-graduation pathways: college enrollment, career employment, or military enlistment. Students can earn specialized diploma seals aligned with those pathways.

All 15 of Indiana’s public colleges and universities have frozen in-state undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years, according to the governor’s office.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.