Indiana election results: Voters reject 3 school referendums for property tax increases

This article was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as part of a collaboration for the 2022 school elections.

Three of Indiana’s seven school districts with ballot questions to approve property tax levies for operational funds failed to receive voter approval Tuesday in the midterm elections.

Leaders of Brown County Schools in Brown County, from Delphi Community School Corp. in Carroll County and Medora Community School Corp. in Jackson County were unable to convince their communities to bear the additional cost of real estate bills.

The three rural districts have warned of staff and program cuts, and an increase in the number of students in classrooms if funding is not approved. Brown County Superintendent Emily Tracy also said wages and salaries would be frozen across the district.

Education leaders and advocates had warned that the new language required on the ballot could give voters the wrong idea of ​​how much property tax they could face. Last year, a law was enacted that requires the ballot question to include the estimated average percentage increase in property tax paid to the school district if the levy is approved.

Unofficial results reported by county election offices:

Brown County SchoolsBrown County: 52.9% voted against the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.1200 per $100 of assessed value for eight years.

Delphi Community School Corp.Carroll County: 55% voted against the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.2032 per $100 of assessed value for eight years.

Medora Community School Corp.Jackson County: 74.49% voted against the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.50 per $100 of property assessment for eight years.

Monroe County Community School Corp.Monroe County: 67% voted yes in the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.1850 per $100 of assessment for eight years.

Allen County Southwest MSD, Allen County: 69.1% voted yes in the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.15 per $100 of property assessment for eight years.

Southern Wells Community Schools, Wells County: 71% voted yes in the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.127 per $100 of property assessment for eight years.

Westfield Washington Schools, Hamilton County: 67.76% voted yes in the operations referendum for a property tax rate of $0.17 per $100 of property assessment for eight years.

Results were not available early Wednesday for a capitol referendum requested by Wabash County School Corp’s MSD. in Wabash County. Voters were asked to approve a new property tax of $115 million as part of a plan to build a new high school and renovate other buildings.

This story will be updated.

Contact Eric Weddle, WFYI’s Education Editor, at [email protected] or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.