School districts that lost Indiana tax referendums confront a tough question: What should we cut?
Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. This story was co-reported with WFYI. In Gas City, the cuts start now. The small Mississinewa Community School district’s ballot measure to increase property taxes lost by just 71 votes. So starting…
Indiana school districts that lost tax referendums are now facing tough decisions on which programs to cut. The Mississinewa Community School district in Gas City, which narrowly lost its referendum by just 71 votes, will begin cutting costs immediately. Superintendent Jeremy Fewell expects further cuts to come, including the elimination of a school resource officer and reductions to bus services and preschool programs.
Other districts that failed to pass their referendums include Grant County, Sheridan Community Schools, Madison County, and Elwood. These districts will need to find ways to plug budget holes, with some considering eliminating programs and services, while others are analyzing their next steps. Despite these setbacks, some districts, such as Washington Township, Zionsville Community Schools, and West Lafayette School Corporation, secured passage with a majority of votes.
However, even these districts still plan to explore funding options as costs continue to rise. Indiana voters faced a difficult choice, with many districts seeking more state funding to support education despite modest increases in per-pupil state funding.
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