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This Could, three Indiana faculty districts will ask voters to approve funding to do issues like elevate trainer pay, proceed packages supported by pandemic aid that can quickly expire, and enhance faculty security.
These poll measures searching for tax income will likely be on the first election ballots on Could 7 in Blue River Valley Faculties, Brown County Faculties, and the Metropolitan Faculty District of Pike Township.
Faculty districts can search voter approval for referendums to pay for working prices, in addition to development and security bills. They want a easy majority to cross.
The poll language exhibits the proportion that college property taxes would improve from the bottom quantity going to varsities, not the proportion that property taxes total would improve.
Moreover, a legislation enacted final yr requires faculty districts in Marion, St. Joseph, Vanderburg, and Lake counties to share income from poll measures for working prices with constitution colleges. That legislation applies to 1 district on Could 7, Pike Township, which is the primary district in Marion County to carry a referendum since this legislation went into impact.
Right here’s what to find out about every district’s referendum.
Pike needs to fund pandemic packages, entice lecturers
Fee: $0.24 per $100 of assessed property worth for eight years
Estimated annual income: $14.5 million
For the primary time, Pike Township is asking voters to assist fund operations. The tax charge could be 24 cents per $100 of internet assessed worth for eight years.
The poll measure would fund three key areas: persevering with packages and staffing added because the pandemic, attracting and retaining lecturers, and college security and safety.
Out of the overall funding, $4.5 million would proceed programming and maintain employees who’re supported by federal COVID aid.
The funding would cowl all the things from 1:1 computing units and tutorial interventionists to social employees and a brand new curriculum to assist college students address traumas exterior the classroom. It might assist salaries and advantages for practically 60 staffers.
“The funds are going away, however the wants are nonetheless very a lot there,” mentioned Pike Superintendent Larry Younger mentioned.
One other $9 million would assist Pike Township provide aggressive salaries and entice prime educators to the district, Younger mentioned. The funding would cowl tutorial employees, but in addition custodians and secretaries.
Lastly, an estimated $1 million would pay for added faculty useful resource officers and security personnel to the district, though Younger mentioned there’s not a particular quantity. It might additionally fund safety upgrades, together with a safety system that a number of folks can stroll by way of directly.
Pike should share referendum funds with constitution colleges that enroll a pupil dwelling within the district and decide in.
Nonetheless, fifteen charters are searching for to obtain cash from Pike’s referendum, in accordance with faculty board paperwork. In the event that they finally do, the colleges collectively will obtain greater than $412,000 yearly of the estimated $14.5 million. The most important quantities would go to Indiana Math and Science Academy (roughly $81,000) and Herron Constitution (roughly $71,000).
The typical assessed worth for a home-owner within the faculty district is $237,200, which suggests the referendum’s common tax improve could be $295.20 yearly.
Property homeowners can even use this calculator on the Pike Township Faculties web site to see how a lot their taxes would change if the poll measure passes..
Reviving profession schooling, theater in Brown County Faculties
Fee: $0.10 per $100 of assessed property worth for eight years
Estimated annual income: $359,594
Brown County colleges is searching for a renewal of its 2016 working referendum, however at a barely increased charge than earlier than — 10 cents per $100 of assessed property worth for eight years, quite than eight cents.
The referendum would generate round $1.9 million in annual income for the district, with the majority of the funding earmarked for salaries, advantages, and packages, in accordance with the district’s spending plan. Round $188,000 will likely be put aside for programming at a Profession Useful resource Middle.
One of many largest expenditures — round $650,000 — is a plan to extend trainer salaries by $5,000 so as to make the district compensation extra aggressive, in accordance with a district presentation. Their salaries in Brown County colleges begin at simply over $40,000.
One other $255,000 is earmarked for a 5% pay bump for non-certified employees to extend retention, and $356,000 would go to sustaining present and future wage ranges.
The remaining $423,000 would fund new positions in particular schooling, profession and technical schooling, arts, and work-based studying. A few of this funding will enable Brown County colleges to reinstate profession and technical schooling lessons, in addition to theater at Brown County Excessive Faculty.
The district enrolled round 1,500 college students in 2024 — a drop of over 300 college students since 2018. A presentation from the district says that the enrollment drop has meant a lack of $2.3 million in funding, however that prices don’t essentially lower when the variety of college students decreases.
Brown County voters rejected the district’s most up-to-date working referendum proposal in 2022.
Blue River Valley seeks improve in trainer pay
Property tax charge: $0.19 per $100 of assessed worth for eight years
Estimated annual income: $359,594
Blue River Valley Faculties, which serves a portion of Henry County, plans to make its trainer pay extra aggressive if the primary poll measure for working prices it’s ever put to voters will get accepted.
Declining pupil enrollment and a state-mandated restrict on property tax income has created a monetary pressure on the district — significantly in its quest to draw and retain high-quality lecturers, the district mentioned in a presentation to voters. State enrollment data present the district has misplaced over 10% of its pupil inhabitants since 2018-19. Enrollment is now round 570 college students, in accordance with Superintendent Trent McCormick, in comparison with the practically 700 college students it had in 2018-19.
In the meantime, the $40,000 beginning wage for lecturers is the bottom amongst faculty districts in Henry County and neighboring Wayne County, in accordance with the district.
The district’s common wage of $49,995 can also be beneath the state’s common of $58,531 for 2023.
The district plans to make use of the extra income to extend pay for its roughly 41 lecturers by at the least $5,000 over two years; it might improve beginning salaries to $45,000, McCormick mentioned. The district hopes to supply a $2,500 elevate within the fall of 2025 and one other $2,500 elevate in 2026.
The referendum could be an annual tax improve of $111.27 for a property valued at $138,100, the common residential worth for houses within the district, in accordance with the district’s referendum calculator.
Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana schooling coverage and writes about Ok-12 colleges throughout the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County colleges for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.
MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s protection as bureau chief. She additionally covers entry to increased schooling and Warren Township Faculties. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.
