Wednesday, January 15, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) today unanimously elected Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner to serve a fifth term as chair of the Board.
“All of the progress we have achieved over the past four years has been possible because we work together,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “As we begin another year, I look forward to working alongside Governor Braun, members of the Board, the Indiana General Assembly, educators, parents, higher education partners, business and industry leaders, as well as community members to build on our positive momentum, to continue improving education in Indiana and to keep our foot on the gas pedal for students.”
In addition to chairing SBOE and continuing to lead the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), Dr. Katie Jenner was recently re-appointed as Indiana’s top education official by Governor Mike Braun. As Secretary of Education, Dr. Jenner is responsible for establishing a unified, student-centered vision across the full spectrum of education, from Pre-K and K-12 to college.
As one of eight secretaries in Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet, Dr. Jenner will oversee eight state agencies and boards which comprise approximately 60% of the state budget, or approximately $26 billion over the biennium. This includes IDOE, SBOE, Commission for Higher Education, Charter School Board, Education Employee Relations Board, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Indiana State Library.
Under Secretary Jenner’s leadership, the state of Indiana and local schools have celebrated a number of successes in K-12 education, including:
- Literacy rates increasing for three consecutive years, including the largest-ever single-year increase in 2024;
- Chronic absenteeism rates improving for two consecutive years;
- The unanimous adoption of new high school diploma requirements that allow increased flexibility for students to personalize their journey; and
- The highest Indiana high school graduation rate on record.
The motion to reappoint Dr. Jenner was put forth by B.J. Watts, SBOE member and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Executive Director of Opportunities through Partnerships that Transform and Inspire (OptIN).
“Having served on the Board for over a decade and in southern Indiana schools for over two decades, there has never been greater alignment to do really good work for kids,” said Watts. “With Dr. Jenner’s bold, thoughtful leadership, the collaboration of our Board, and the opportunity to partner with educators at all levels, I am excited for the future.”
Members of the board also unanimously re-elected Kathleen Mote as vice chair and William Durham as secretary.
“Indiana has led on a number of key initiatives over the past year, and because of the continuity in leadership that we have today, that will only continue,“ said Scott Bess, board member, consultant and advisor to multiple education organizations and recent founder of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center. “We have momentum on our side, and together, we are going to keep moving forward for students.”
The next SBOE meeting will be held on Thursday, February 6.
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Media Contact: Courtney Crown
Senior Media Specialist
ccrown@doe.in.gov