4 Indy-Area School Districts Seek Millions In Tax Increases On May 5 Election

Voters in four Indianapolis-area school districts Tuesday will be asked to OK property tax increases to generate new revenue for construction, transportation and general fund projects.

Beech Grove, Brownsburg, Perry Township and Wayne Township schools each face different fiscal challenges brought on in part by state's property tax cap and other funding fluxes. They are among the 13 Indiana school districts seeking a total of 18 separate tax levy increases.

Homecroft Elementary in Perry Township looks just like any other single story school. Yet if you peek behind it, there are four metal trailers filled with students.

More: How much will a passed school referendum cost you? Details on Marion County and other school referenda

On a recent day principal Jody Matthews walked the single major hallway of the school and headed for an exit door.

“So these are the doors that we walk through to get to the trailers,” he said, before being greeted by a warm 70 degrees breeze and chirping birds. “We are in Indiana, so one thing's for sure we don’t get this weather every day -- we don’t get this weather a lot.”

Outside these doors at Homecroft Elementary in Perry Township are four metal trailers used as classrooms for fourth grade students -- including principal Jody Matthews’ daughter. Students in the trailers have to walk along a corridor in the rain, sleet and snow to go inside the main building for lunch, a bathroom break or see a nurse.

“Easily, 30 to 45 minutes a day of instructional time lost,” Matthews said. “You take those minutes per day times 180 days -- You start talking about times I don’t want to think about as a principal.”

Perry Township, a school district south of Indianapolis, has reached capacity in its elementary schools. More than 26 trailers are used at schools now for the overflow of students and at least 40 trailers are expected next year.

But those mobile rooms are not conducive for long term learning and safety, said Superintendent Thomas Little.

Little is advocating for voters to pass a $50 million referendum Tuesday to raise property taxes for 89 new classrooms and other school improvements, plus a separate $3 million referendum for transportation.

“No one I have talked to says, “You don’t need additional classrooms or you don’t need to deal with Winchester Elementary School's open space.” It’s never the issue. The issue is -- “Tom, I just don't think think  I can pay that additional dollars out of my pocket every month.” And we are sensitive to that. But we are just out of space.”

The New Reality

In Wayne Township, school Superintendent Jeff Butts and members of a political action committee have set up shop inside the former Westlake Church of Christ near I-465 to advocate for their referendum.

By law, the Superintendent and staff can not promote a yes vote on school property (unless the district provides equal space to an opposition group school property). It’s here where volunteers call residents to talk about the proposed $9.5 million annual tax increase for the next seven years -- the money will maintain and improve teaching and the classroom experience.

“That is what the referendum is really about,” Butts said. “It’s not about buildings, it not about putting in new parking lots or buying new busses or putting down new turf, it’s about continuing the programs we currently have and making up for the gap we are currently experiencing.”

In the face of reduced assessed values and property tax caps, the district of 16,000 students faces an $8 million shortfall -- that’s after a series of budget cuts totaling $30 million and spending $30 million in cash reserves.

Superintendent Butts said this is just the new reality.

“This is how schools are funded,” he said. “We’ve cut back on the taxes and now local communities get to decide whether or not they are going to support their schools and have increased supports for their children or if they want those schools to operate in a lean fashion and not operate in a way to provide all the services for the children.”

That’s been the question voters began asking themselves when referendums became law in 2008. Since then half of the 104 referenda across the state have passed.

Contact WFYI education reporter Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.