Operating Referendum Renewal

In Indiana, school referendums are a mechanism through which local school districts seek voter approval to increase property taxes to fund specific education initiatives or cover general operating expenses. Indiana school referendums play a crucial role in empowering local communities to make decisions about their educational system and funding allocations for their schools.

The typical length of a referendum is eight years. That is what Anderson Community Schools is requesting. Should taxpayers vote to extend the current Operating Referendum it would be from 2027-2034.

In 2018, over 60% of Anderson taxpayers voted to approve both a Construction and Operations Referendum for Anderson Community Schools (ACS). The Construction Referendum was used to enhance safety and improve facilities throughout the district. It has successfully concluded and it is not needed for renewal at this time.

The Operating Referendum was used to cover the following activities: retaining and compensating teachers and employees, maintaining class sizes, and academic support. Over the current 8-year period (2019-2026) ACS has spent $12.6 million from their Operating Referendum to support these critical activities.

Anderson Community Schools needs a renewal of their Operating Referendum to help bridge a multi-million dollar budget shortfall caused by state property tax caps, inflation, and inadequate state funding per student. A renewal of the current operating referendum is necessary to help fill the funding gap that exists.

According to the Resolution approved by the ACS Board of Trustees, money will be split evenly between academic and support programs and operational needs. A continuation of the referendum will help to protect: student transportation, utilities and insurance, building operations, safety and daily school needs, services that support teaching and learning, and provide stability for students, families, and staff.

The Operating Referendum imposes a rate on property taxes. Therefore, individuals that rent their home are not subject to this tax. In addition to no impact for individuals that rent their home, for home and property owners, there will be no increase in their property taxes. The renewal will maintain the current property tax rate not to exceed $0.1077 per $100 of assessed value.  Here is the continued cost Anderson homeowners will pay based on the assessed value of their homes:

 

Assessed Value	Tax Impact
$50,000.00	$53.85
$100,000.00	$53.85
$150,000.00	$107.70
$200,000.00	$107.70
$300,000.00	$161.55
$400,000.00	$215.40
$500,000.00	$269.25

 

In 2025, 13 public school districts in Indiana (listed below), had a referendum on the ballot. Below are the rates in which they asked for taxpayers in their community. As you will see, the rate requested by ACS is significantly lower than each of these school districts.

 

School District	Rate
Southwest Parke Community School Corporation	$0.6058
Hamilton County Schools	$0.4400
Cannelton City School Corporation	$0.4100
Duneland School Corporation	$0.3900
Silver Creek Community School Corporation	$0.3840
Avon Community School Corporation	$0.3536
Westview School Corporation	$0.2940
Hanover School Corporation	$0.2900
Northwest Allen Community Schools	$0.2787
Lake Central School Corporation	$0.2614
School City of Hobart	$0.2460
Crown Point Community School Corporation	$0.2100
Central Noble Community Schools	$0.1900

Given the financial outlook for public school districts in Indiana, a renewal of the Operating Referendum won’t be enough to cover the anticipated budget shortfall. Therefore, ACS is already implemented measures to reduce costs while prioritizing students and essential services.

This is a collaborative process involving the ACS Board of Trustees, central office, and building administrators. Teams are conducting comprehensive reviews of all programs, positions, and operations across the Education and Operations funds. Multiple factors are taken into consideration, but the most important are student well-being and achievement.

Yes. Anderson Community Schools has responsibly reduced the number of administrators as school buildings have closed. Since the 2009-10 school year when Highland High School was closed, there has been approximately a 20% reduction in full-time employees. This includes a reduction in administrators. Additionally, over the past 12 months, there have been two central office administrators that have or will be leaving the district in which their positions won’t be refilled. Instead, their responsibilities have been and will be distributed amongst other central office administrators and staff. This sort of review, and combining of responsibilities, will continue to ensure limited resources are prioritized at the building level.

Indiana school districts are held financially accountable through strict state-mandated funds, mandatory public reporting, routine audits, and oversight by the Indiana State Board of Accounts and the Indiana Department of Education. This ensures transparency and compliance with taxpayer-funded budgets, including the operating referendum.

District schools continue to show improvement in IREAD and ILEARN testing post COVID. We expect test scores to continue to increase at a rate of 1%-3% every year.

Yes. More than 30 school districts in Indiana will be renewing or asking taxpayers in their communities for a new referendum this year. Given SEA 1 and rising costs, many school districts are increasing their rate. For example, like the school districts referenced above, Hamilton Southeastern is asking taxpayers in November for substantially more than Anderson Community Schools. Their request is $0.36 per $100 in assessed value. That is more than three times higher than the rate of renewal requested by Anderson Community Schools ($0.1077 per $100 in assessed value).

If a continuation of the operating referendum fails it would result in $2.9 million added to the yearly deficit. This would result in deeper and swifter cuts having to be made to staffing and program offerings. According to a presentation given on June 8, 2026 by board member Mrs. JoAnna Colette, the deficit without referendum support in 2028 is expected to be $8.25 million. The continuation of the operating referendum would not eliminate the deficit. However, a continuation of support through renewing the operating referendum would reduce it and allow the district to continue making cuts responsibly.

Please feel free to contact any of the following individuals:

 

Dr. Joe Cronk
Superintendent

 

Tyler Elmore
Chief Financial Officer

 

You can also reach out to any member of the Anderson Community Schools (ACS) Board of Trustees. Click here to access their contact information.