Right here’s which Indiana college districts have a referendum on the poll this November

This text was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as a part of a collaboration forward of the 2022 college board elections. 

9 college districts throughout Indiana are asking voters to approve a rise to their property taxes or proceed a referendum tax levy.

A lot of the funding requests would go to paying academics and different employees, in accordance with the  spending plans filed by every college company. With out approval for these new levies, suburban and rural districts alike say they are going to be compelled to chop employees and certain see a rise within the variety of college students in a classroom.

“If the neighborhood votes no to supporting our faculties, we can be compelled to considerably scale back programing and companies throughout our lecturers, the humanities and athletics,” stated Brown County Colleges Superintendent Emily Tracy in a public message in regards to the $15.1 million working referendum on the November poll for the district that serves 1,569 college students. “We can be compelled to freeze salaries and wages for our employees and lower positions throughout your complete district.”

College districts are additionally voicing concern that voters could misunderstand the general public query on the poll of whether or not to approve a property tax referendum. Final yr, a regulation was enacted that requires the poll query embody the estimated common share of property tax enhance paid to the college district if the levy is accredited.

For the Metropolitan College District of Wabash County, the estimated common share enhance is listed as 124.5% on the general public query. College leaders fear voters will take that estimated quantity for the a lot decrease enhance to their very own property tax.

“The referendum query on the November eighth poll is deceptive!” reads materials from Wabash County faculties. 

The district is in search of a $115 million capital referendum to fund a brand new highschool that might serve as much as 600 college students, amongst different facility renovations. If accredited, owners will see their property tax price enhance by 61.44% — that’s a price of $0.83 elevating to $1.34 per $100 of assessed worth.

Westfield-Washington Colleges described its $61 million referendum query in Hamilton County as “very deceptive” as a result of the tax price of the present levy could be diminished by $0.03.

Terry Spradlin, govt director of the Indiana College Boards Affiliation, agrees with the districts.

“We do consider the language is complicated and positively deceptive to taxpayers,” he stated, noting that almost all voters could be paying far much less in new taxes on an accredited levy than the quantity of the estimated common enhance listed on the poll query.

“We predict there’s higher language, extra applicable or appropriate language that might be placed on the poll,” he stated.

Spradlin stated his affiliation and others will push for a change to the regulation within the legislative session subsequent yr. He’d quite the query embody a exact greenback quantity of a proposed property-tax enhance primarily based on the median dwelling worth within the college district neighborhood. 

Indiana’s property taxes are capped at assessed worth charges primarily based on the kind of property: 1% for owner-occupied properties, 2% for different residential properties and farmland, and three% for all different property. But when voters approve a neighborhood referendum, a property tax invoice can exceed the cap and the additional taxes go to the native college district.

College referendums on November 2022 ballots

Right here’s the native public query for varsity referendums on November ballots. The totals for operation levies are primarily based on the web assessed valuation of taxable property within the district boundary earlier this yr. That worth can change.

Development

MSD of Wabash County, Wabash County  

Property tax price: $0.8300 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for eight years

Mission complete: $115,000,000

For: Construct a brand new 165,000-square-foot highschool at a price of greater than $72 million for college students in grades 9-12 to open for the 2027-28 educational yr. Main renovations at Northfield Jr./Sr. Excessive College and Southwood Jr./Sr. Excessive College to develop into buildings for preschool to grade 8 college students. Discover out extra on the district web site right here.

Working

Brown County Colleges, Brown County

Property tax price: $0.1200 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $15,140,096

For: An working referendum accredited in 2016 is coming to an finish. This new levy would enhance the present tax price by $0.04 per $100 of assessed property worth. Nearly all of the brand new funds will go to instructor and employees salaries. With out it, the district says it is going to be compelled to chop $1.2 million from the annual finances, lay off some employees and freeze wages. Discover out extra on the district web site right here.

Delphi Neighborhood College Company, Carroll County

Property tax price: $0.2032 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $9,598,120

For: Funding every day academic operations, educational and assist packages ($4 million), attracting and retaining academics ($2.4 million), and managing class sizes ($1.6 million) and different bills. Discover out extra on the state web site right here. 

Fremont Neighborhood Colleges, Steuben County

Property tax price: $0.1963 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $20,360,896

For: A renewal of 2015 referendum on the present price. It might fund salaries for present employees and attracting academics and employees ($12 million); educational programming ($4 million), and managing class dimension and different operational bills. Discover out extra on the state web site right here.

Medora Neighborhood College Company, Jackson County

Property tax price: $0.50 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $1,554,000

For: Transportation of scholars ($652,400), attracting and retaining of licensed academics and categorised employees ($1 million), and different educational wants. Discover out extra on the state web site right here.

Monroe County Neighborhood College Company, Monroe County

Property tax price: $0.1850 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: MCCSC didn’t reply with the annual quantity that will be generated by the referendum by deadline.

For: Practically all of the funds will go towards instructor and employees pay. If accredited, academics will get wage will increase of $4,500 and assist employees wages will enhance by $2.25 per hour. Discover out extra on the district web site right here.

MSD of Southwest Allen County, Allen County

Property tax price: $0.15 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $51,245,496

For: A renewal of a referendum accredited first in 2009 and renewed in 2016. The levy would fund district employees, together with dozens of present academics, steering counselors and a faculty useful resource officer ($33.1 million). It might additionally fund roughly 14 new classroom academics ($9.1 million), two safety personnel and 7 steering counselors/social employees ($6.1 million), amongst different educational wants. Discover out extra on the district web site right here.

Southern Wells Neighborhood Colleges, Wells County

Property tax price: $0.127 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $4,241,584

For: A renewal of a referendum accredited first in 2016. It might fund the present salaries of six academics, two educational assistants and a custodian, plus cowl the bills for profession and technical training courses at the highschool. Discover out extra on the district web site right here.

Westfield Washington Colleges, Hamilton County   

Property tax price: $0.17 per $100 assessed worth for eight years

Mission complete: $61,038,144.00

For: A renewal of a referendum accredited first in 2016 however at a price diminished by $0.03. It might fund retaining and attracting academics and employees ($40 million); managing class sizes ($16 million), and funding educational and educationally associated packages at present ranges ($5 million). Discover out extra on the district web site right here.

Contact WFYI training editor Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or name (317) 614-0470. Comply with on Twitter: @ericweddle.