The last operating referendum put before Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District voters was in 2016. That referendum expires at the end of 2023 and HSE plans to have another referendum vote in 2023.
What is not yet known is whether the referendum will be placed on the May primary or November general election balloting. Fishers and other localities in Indiana will conduct city & town elections in 2023.
The school board appears to be moving toward hiring a consultant to help run the referendum. In 2016, a Political Action Committee, Advance HSE, was formed to raise money and conduct the campaign in favor of passing the referendum, with local parent Sneha Shah as a volunteer chair. HSE administrators and a majority of school board members appear to favor hiring a consultant in 2023.
It will be up to the school board to decide what rate to request and when to place the referendum before voters in 2023 – May or November.
In May of 2016, the HSE Schools operating referendum passed with 71.42% of those casting a ballot voting yes.
The board expects to form a committee with the task of interviewing candidates to be the referendum campaign consultant. Board President Julie Chambers, when asked why a consultant is needed in 2023 when no consultant was used in 2016, responded that this “is a different time.” She pointed out the increased importance of social media now compared to 2016.
A recommendation is expected for a board vote in late spring to name the consultant.
HSE Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling provided a history and background of how the referendum money dovetails with the various funds the state establishes for local school districts and explained the many changes enacted by state lawmakers in the past 7 years.
Dowling also pointed out state law changes in how referendum language shown on the ballot is different under state law. Dowling described the latest state-mandated ballot as a response for too many local school funding referendums passing. For example, in the new required ballot language, the word “increased” is used multiple times.
Here is an example of how the 2023 referendum ballot language would be worded, with X as a placeholder for the tax rate, as provided by Dowling:
“Shall the Hamilton Southeastern Schools continue to impose increased property taxes paid to the school corporation by homeowners and businesses for eight (8) years immediately following the holding of the referendum for the purpose of funding daily educational operations, academic, and support programs, including the reduction in class
sizes, and for any other educational needs of the school corporation. The property tax increase requested in this referendum was originally approved by the voters in 2016 and originally increased the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a residence within the Hamilton Southeastern Schools by XX.XX% and originally increased the average property tax paid to the Hamilton Southeastern Schools per year on a business property within the Hamilton Southeastern Schools by XX.XX%.”
In 2016, referendums had a duration of 7 years. State law changes say school referendums now last 8 years.
No decisions were made at the Tuesday evening board work session.