There will be no school funding referendum for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools in 2015.  The school board chose not to act on July 21st to meet a looming deadline for placing the plebiscite on the November, 2015 ballot.

By choosing not to act this year, the board is leaving open the option of placing the funding referendum on the May 3rd, 2016 primary election balloting.  The deadline for the board to act on the May referendum is January 26, 2016.

HSE has one year remaining on its current general fund operating referendum increasing the local property tax rate by 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.  The board appeared to reach a consensus last week to hold a referendum requesting a 20 cent general fund referendum rate in November of this year.  That would increase the current referendum rate by 10 cents.

The HSE School Board chose not to act July 21st to allow more time to engage people in the community about the needs of the local school system.

In another matter mentioned at the July 21st session, School Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board he has been in contact with the private contractor about beginning the process of redistricting the high school boundary lines.  The board completed a redistricting plan for the lower grades in December of 2014.  The high school redistricting process is expected to begin late this year or early in 2016.