Since 2006, the Jobs for America’s Graduates program has helped thousands of Indiana high schoolers prepare for college and careers.
Now the vast majority of Indiana’s JAG programs will likely be discontinued because of massive cuts enacted by Gov. Mike Braun and Indiana lawmakers this year. The program lost about 85% of its total funding following a dismal state revenue forecast.
“We’re trying to move forward in the most responsible and effective manner we can,” said Tony Waterson, chair of the Indiana Workforce Alliance, “but obviously, it’s quite literally a gut punch.”
For over a decade, Jobs for America’s Graduates, colloquially called JAG, has received dedicated funding for dropout prevention in the state budget through the Department of Workforce Development. The program is an elective class that aims to help students who are at risk of not graduating high school prepare for college and employment.
But during this year’s legislative session, lawmakers eliminated that dedicated source of funding and, instead, looped dropout prevention in with a dozen other education initiatives, such as literacy and post-pandemic learning recovery.
That left JAG’s funding in the hands of Education Secretary Katie Jenner. The education department ultimately decided not to fund the program due to “significant budget constraints,” according to an email from the Department of Workforce Development obtained by Mirror Indy.
In another blow for the program, workforce officials also learned that JAG would not receive additional money from vocational rehab funds or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The latter funded a $23 million expansion of the program under former Gov. Eric Holcomb, which doubled the number of sites across the state to 250.
And at the federal level, President Donald Trump’s proposed budget seeks to cut and consolidate a workforce initiative for at-risk youth that’s the only remaining government funding source for the Indiana JAG program, further jeopardizing its future.
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The Department of Workforce Development is encouraging officials to seek support from local school corporations and philanthropic organizations to keep the programs afloat. But supporting JAG is expensive — about $100,000 per site, Waterson said — which pays for staff salaries, work-based learning and opportunities for students to attend state and national conferences.
Come August, Waterson said he’d be pleased if there were 50 JAG programs in Indiana. More likely, it’ll be closer to 30.
“It’s a huge loss for the state of Indiana in terms of our ability to prepare the future workforce,” Waterson said.
Reached by Mirror Indy, an Indiana Department of Education official pointed to Jenner’s statement about JAG from the department’s weekly newsletter May 30.
“While funding for JAG was originally included in Governor Braun’s proposed budget, the lower than anticipated revenue forecast and subsequent $2.4 billion budget shortfall required significant cuts across state government,” Jenner said in the newsletter, in part.
Josh Richardson, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development, said in a statement that the agency is working with regional workforce boards to make the most of the remaining funds for JAG.
“The focus will remain on providing necessary support to the students and schools that have participated in the program,” Richardson said in a statement to Mirror Indy, in part.
The Family and Social Services Administration did not respond to Mirror Indy’s request for an interview in time for publication.
A statewide impact
Lance Ratliff, who chairs the workforce board in the counties surrounding Indianapolis, said he’s anticipating reducing the number of JAG programs in the region from 20 to four or five.
The board had just launched 10 new JAG sites as part of the Holcomb-led expansion, some of which were scheduled to open this fall.
“It’s a really discouraging situation because of all the effort that not only our region but other regions put in trying to expand the number of programs in our region and across the state,” Ratliff said. “We’re trying to work with folks and move forward as best we can.”
The cuts come as Indiana is trying desperately to raise both its college-going rate and get more skilled employees into the workforce. Officials argue that JAG aligns with both these priorities — and, it’s highly effective. In 2024, 97% of students in Indiana JAG programs graduated high school, higher than the state’s rate of 90%.
For Marie Mackintosh, president and CEO of EmployIndy, JAG’s mission is more important than ever. Though she expects the number of sites in Marion County to be reduced, she’s hoping that the students who do remain in the program see benefits from it.
“The truth is that we need to have initiatives like JAG or career coaching or a variation on that theme in our high schools in a more prevalent way to ensure that more students don’t fall through the cracks and that they make it to their next step in their career,” she said.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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