INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO): House Republicans plan to add more money for schools to what Governor Pence has proposed in his budget.

Pence is calling for a two-percent increase for schools in the first year of the two-year budget, plus another one-percent the next year. House Speaker Brian Bosma says that‘s what legislators approved in the current budget, and says the state has enough money for Republicans to keep a promise to set aside more than that.

He says it‘s too early to say exactly how much Republicans will propose. Pence‘s proposed increase would give schools an extra 200-million dollars, with about a fifth of that earmarked for charter schools.

Bosma says charters receive less money per student than traditional schools, because they don‘t receive money for transportation or capital costs. He says House Republicans agree with Pence that the disparity needs to be addressed. Bosma says plans to create incentives for schools to steer more funding to the classroom instead of administration are still a work in progress.

He says a House Republican proposal to give teachers a 200-dollar tax credit for spending their own money on classroom supplies is a small step in that direction.