Participation in Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program has reached an all-time high, with more than 76,000 students enrolled statewide for the 2024-25 school year. In Adams County, enrollment continues to rise in private schools accepting vouchers, particularly in the North Adams district.
Numbers released by the state this week categorized the students and schools in the program in many different ways, but perhaps the most pertinent number is where those students live and which school they chose to attend in 2024-25.
The North Adams district led all Adams County school corporations with 286 students living in the district using the Choice Scholarship Program, up from 263 the previous year. The Adams Central district reported 20 students, the same as last year. The South Adams district had fewer than 10 students participating in the program.
Several private schools in Adams County accept Choice Scholarships and continue to draw local families. These include St. Joseph Catholic School in Decatur and St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran School. St. Joe saw a slight increase in voucher numbers, increasing from 227 to 233 for last school year. SPI saw a significant increase compared to their school population, with 45 enrolled in ’24-’25, compared to 36 in ’23-’24.
Zion Lutheran School and Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School do not accept vouchers.
St. John Emmanuel Lutheran School is just a few miles north of the Adams-Allen border and had 89 voucher students, some of them from Adams County.
While the state report does not list enrollment totals for each private school, the data reflects a growing trend of families in rural areas choosing private education. The state’s removal of eligibility tracks in 2023 expanded access to scholarships regardless of whether students previously attended public schools.
Dollar amounts also outlined in state report
The state made payments to St. Joseph Catholic School totaled $1.54M, while St. Peter-Immanuel received $223K.
Just over $89K was paid out to private schools for School Choice vouchers for students living in the Adams Central district, while over $1.8M went to private schools for those living within the borders of North Adams.
Neighboring counties see modest participation
In Jay County, the Jay School district reported 137 students using the Choice Scholarship Program, roughly unchanged from last year. In Wells County, the Northern Wells district saw 56 students participate, up from 49.
Allen County continued to lead the region, with 1,857 students from East Allen County Schools, 6,132 from Fort Wayne Community Schools and 932 from the Southwest Allen district.
Some of the largest schools accepting vouchers in Allen County were:
Bishop Dwenger 736
Saint Charles Borromeo 699
Saint Vincent DePaul Catholic 641
Concordia Lutheran HS 583
Bishop Luers 520
Blackhawk Christian Elementary 453
International Leadership Islamic School 415
Holy Cross Lutheran 373
Blackhawk Christian Middle/High School 371
Concordia Elementary 363
Emmanuel St. Michael Lutheran 340
Central Lutheran 317
Statewide numbers reflect local trends
Statewide participation in the Choice Scholarship Program rose 8.5% from the previous year. Of the students participating, about 70% have never attended a public school in Indiana.
Though the total number of participants in Adams County is relatively small, the increase is significant when considered in proportion to the county’s population. The trend highlights growing interest in private and faith-based education options among rural families.
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