Voters heading to the polls Tuesday in Indianapolis will decide whether to approve or reject a $95 million tax measure for Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools.
Leaders of both the district and local charters say the revenue is crucial for programs and staffing. Of the total, $63 million would go to programming, including services for students with disabilities and students learning English, and the remaining $32 million would support staff retention and professional development. Roughly 60 charter schools would also receive about half of the funding from the referendum.
The newly formed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation is overseeing the referendum for the first time this year, after assuming the taxing powers previously held by IPS. IPEC plans to create a tracker so people can follow referendum spending, and its executive director, Karega Rausch, pledged that none of the money would go to IPEC itself.
The stakes are especially high for IPS. Rausch echoed a warning from Superintendent Aleesia Johnson that if the tax measure fails, the district could face insolvency and a state takeover. Even if it passes, IPS expects to make $20 million in budget cuts.
The referendum would impose a tax rate of 37 cents per $100 of a home's assessed value. The ballot language approved by IPEC notes that for a home assessed at $150,000, voters would pay an additional $221 under the referendum, though advocates say the actual increase would be less because voters have been paying roughly 19 cents per $100 under a 2018 referendum. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day.
