Indiana schools and employers face new costs, logistics under state’s redesigned high school diploma

The state’s new diploma keeps a 42-credit baseline but lets students pursue one or more supplemental seals across three paths. Seals layer requirements — for example, the Employment Honors seal requires at least 150 hours of work experience and Employment Honors Plus requires 650 hours — and are intended to connect classroom learning to postsecondary plans or careers.

Schools and businesses across Indiana are already adjusting: some districts are expanding career centers or building new facilities (Lawrence Township plans a $150 million career-center expansion; Perry Township broke ground on a $30 million innovation and entrepreneurship center), IPS provides IndyGo passes and uses HopSkipDrive, and Wayne Township hired seven grant-funded career coaches. Reporters and educators flag challenges including funding teacher training and counseling (one director cited a 450-to-1 counselor caseload), transportation costs for off-campus placements, and whether apprenticeships and other placements can be scaled quickly and assessed consistently.

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