By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
“Even though we're squeezing five days (into four), teachers feel like they really do have a lot more wiggle room to do more hands-on, deeper dives into instruction instead of just hitting the surface.” — Vinton Elementary Principal Cindy Preston
One Indiana school has enjoyed a successful pilot for a four-day school week. Will others join under new parameters lawmakers put into effect July 1?
A lawsuit involving a statewide elected official has gone nowhere fast.
More citizens resign from a longstanding natural resources panel.
Plus, transparency takes a big hit in state government.
Lawmakers outlined a new set of criteria for schools seeking permission to operate on a four-day schedule. (Getty Images)
Indiana sets standards for four-day school week waivers
By Mackenzi Klemann
Indiana K-12 schools must meet new standards before seeking approval to implement a four-day school week.
The model, once favored by rural schools due to a shortage of bus drivers, is spreading nationwide to urban and suburban districts seeking to recruit teachers and students by extending the school day, so students and staff can take Fridays off.
Indiana Treasurer Daniel Elliott, a Republican, speaks at a Statehouse rally on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Indiana treasurer's lawsuit over Martinsville building stalls amid string of judge changes
By Casey Smith
Nearly three months after Indiana Treasurer Daniel Elliott sued three Morgan County nonprofits over a disputed downtown Martinsville building, the case has cycled through six judges in two counties without any hearings on the underlying dispute.
The latest change came this week when Hendricks County Superior Court Judge Mark Smith accepted appointment as special judge, according to court records.
His assignment follows a succession of judicial recusals, change-of-judge requests and one judge's decision to decline jurisdiction because of an already overloaded docket.
COMMENTARY
A screenshot of the “Find a Person” tool before it was disabled.
Governor’s administration deletes helpful transparency tool
By Niki Kelly
In a blow to transparency, the state of Indiana’s website axed a website search tool that helped Hoosiers reach taxpayer-paid state employees.
The “Find a Person” tool on IN.gov had been going downhill since Gov. Mike Braun took over, with many new hires not added to the directory.
Now, it doesn't exist at all. The link was removed from the bottom of the state’s primary webpage earlier this week. The page itself stopped loading Wednesday.
NATIONAL NEWS
The National Museum of American History sits on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy National Museum of American History)
Smithsonian rejects Trump ‘anti-American’ charge, noting nonpartisan history
By Amelia Twyman
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s latest attack on the Smithsonian Institution represents an attempt to replace a shared American history with his own ideology, academics said as the Smithsonian defended its longstanding position as a nonpartisan actor.
A July 4 White House report accused the Smithsonian Institution and its National Museum of American History of promoting what it called a “radical, activist ideology” that downplayed U.S. achievements and promoted injustices related to race, gender and sexual identity.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
As a Capital Chronicle subscriber, enjoy EARLY REGISTRATION for this public policy briefing from KFF and States Newsroom.
Medicaid and the Road Ahead
Spending Cuts, Work Requirements and What's Next for States, Providers and Families
Thursday, July 23
12-1 p.m. ET / 9-10 a.m. PT
(Zoom link provided with registration)
Significant changes to Medicaid are expected to put new pressures on states, healthcare providers and those who depend on the coverage. Join healthcare policy experts from KFF and journalists from States Newsroom who cover these issues at the state and national level for an in-depth discussion on the impacts that federal funding cuts, work requirements and state policy are having on healthcare in the U.S. They’ll explain the latest developments and discuss the political debate around these changes.
Audience Q&A to follow.
Thanks for reading Fast Break. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.