![]() Originally, the district was planning to ask for a larger referendum package. “We just have the flagship, the high school, left.” “We’ve been staying just one step ahead with the construction projects, the planning…,” McWhorter said. The referendum, which would increase the tax rate in Franklin Township by 21 cents, would generate just under $100 million to renovate the existing structure, build a new, two-story addition and fund some smaller projects at a number of the district’s elementary schools. Two additions are already 20 and 30 years old, respectively. McWhorter said the core of the building is nearly 50 years old. “This new language is considered ambiguous and could misinform a taxpayer that would pay significantly less, or more, than the average percentage of property tax increase,” ISBA said in its legislative priorities.įranklin Central High School, though, is another story. ![]() The Indiana School Boards Association has advocated for a change back to the previous language and have schools place a calculator on their websites to allow homeowners to calculate the impact on their individual property taxes. School leaders have expressed concern that the new language is confusing and could mislead voters. Instead of using the tax rate, as had been the previous practice, schools must express their request as a percent increase. Last year, the Indiana General Assembly changed the rules for how the referenda question must be presented on the ballot. It will also be a test for a new state law. The nine increases on the ballot will be the most since June 2020, which were proposed prior to the start of the pandemic. Few school districts have proposed property tax increases since the start of the pandemic. This election’s cycle referenda will be a test of sorts for school districts across the state to see whether historically strong support - particularly during primary voting - holds in a post-pandemic world. In Boone County, Lebanon wants to, among other things, build a new elementary school with its capital projects cash while raising pay and reducing class size with an expected $4 million annual revenue from its operating referendum proposal. Vernon would use an anticipated $3 million in annual revenue from the referendum to cover operational costs, such as bus drivers and utilities, increase teacher pay and add more school resource officers to the district. One district - Lebanon Community Schools - is seeking both. Vernon Community Schools and Valparaiso Community Schools - seeking operating referenda to boost their general operating budgets for the next eight years. ![]() There are five districts – Perry Township, Edinburgh Community Schools, Griffith Public Schools, Mt. Of the eight districts running referenda this election cycle, Franklin Township and Vigo County Schools are looking to fund capital projects, such as school construction and renovation. ![]()
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