Lebanon Community School Corporation 2022 Referenda

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Taxpayer Necessary 2022 Capital Projects Referendum

BALLOT LANGUAGE: Shall Lebanon Community School Corporation increase property taxes paid to the school corporation by homeowners and businesses? If this public question is approved by voters, the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a residence would increase by 40.09% and the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a business property would increase by 40.09 %. The political subdivision may issue bonds or enter into a lease to fund the 2022 Safety, Capacity, Efficiency, Renovation and Construction Project which includes the construction of a new elementary school and the renovation of and improvements to Harney, Hattie B. Stokes, Perry-Worth Elementary Schools, Lebanon Middle School and Lebanon High School and construction of operation/transportation facilities at the current capital referendum tax rate of $0.2855 which was originally authorized by the 2010 Referendum, which is estimated to cost $102,650,000 over 22 years. The most recent property tax referendum within the boundaries of the school corporation for which this public question is being considered was proposed by the Lebanon Community School Corporation in 2010 and passed.

The $102.65 million capital projects referendum on the May 3, 2022, ballot is necessary because it is reasonable to expect total LCSC enrollment to increase 400 to 600 students by 2035, with elementary enrollment increasing 200 to 300 students. Since our elementary schools can now only accommodate 160 more students, it makes sense to increase the total elementary schools capacity from 1,660 now to 2,215 by building the proposed new Central Elementary and increasing the Perry-Worth Elementary capacity. The existing Central Elementary building will be repurposed as a resource center and early childhood center.

It is also prudent to (a) renovate all school facilities for better safety, security, and learning environment, (b) demolish the maintenance building adjacent to the transportation center, (c) upgrade the transportation center, and (d) construct a new maintenance facility.

It is unfortunate that the 22-year capital projects referendum will generate property taxes outside the property tax caps, but passing this referendum will require TIF district property owners to contribute $665 million in assessed value to fund the referendum property tax rate. This will lower the property tax amount paid by homeowners for the needed capital projects.

A second school referendum on the May 3, 2022, ballot is for operating expenses. The illogical and misleading rationale for this operating referendum would result in an unneeded significant property tax increase outside the property tax caps. It is hoped the taxpayer unfriendly operating referendum does not lead to the defeat of the needed capital projects referendum.

Taxpayer UNfriendly 2022 Operating Referendum

BALLOT LANGUAGE: Shall Lebanon Community School Corporation increase 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 the Lebanon Our Community/Our Schools Plan which will include safety & security, retaining and attracting teachers and staff, and enhancing academic programs at a tax rate of $0.15? If this public question is approved by the voters, the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a residence would increase by 21.06% and the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a business property would increase by 21.06%. The most recent property tax referendum proposed by the school corporation was held in 2010 and passed.

The May 3, 2022, ballot includes an 8-year Lebanon schools operating referendum to impose more than $3.6 million in annual property taxes outside the property tax caps to pay for teacher and staff salary increases, elementary literacy coaches and certified STEM teachers, behavioral support staff, LHS graduation coach, career engagement coordinator, and a reduction in school resource officer funding.

The table below compares LCSC teacher pay with statewide averages and the 19 public school corporations within 20 miles.

The list below compares the percent of LCSC economically disadvantaged students to the statewide average and the 19 public school corporations within 20 miles.

2020-21 PERCENT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS
SOURCE: https://inview.doe.in.gov/.
NOTE: "Percent of Economically Disadvantaged Students" is the same as the Percent of Students Receiving Free or Reduced Price Lunches.
73.3 % Frankfort Community
66.9 % M.S.D. Wayne Township
65.8 % M.S.D. Pike Township
65.4 % Indianapolis Public
61.8 % Crawfordsville Community
53.4 % Speedway City
47.0 STATEWIDE AVERAGE
42.6 % Clinton Central
40.2 % Clinton Prairie
38.8 % Sheridan Community
37.9 % Lebanon Community
35.9 % South Montgomery
34.4 % North Montgomery
33.4 % Avon Community
32.2 % Western Boone County
30.6 % Danville Community
24.9 % Brownsburg Community
19.8 % Northwest Hendricks
14.7 % Westfield-Washington
10.6 % Carmel-Clay
5.4 % Zionsville Community

Some of the best credentialed K-12 teachers are in private and parochial schools that select students from economically advantaged families. Pay increases will not attract these teachers to LCSC with its 37.9 percent economically disadvantaged students. 

The $60,202 LCSC average pay already exceeds all but Wayne Township, Carmel, Speedway, and Indianapolis Public Schools. The LCSC $41,500 minimum pay exceeds the $40,000 statewide goal. Higher LCSC teacher pay will not attract Zionsville, Hamilton County, and Hendricks County teachers away from their economically advantaged districts where greater student commitment to quality education often accompanies upper income families. LCSC likely does want to attract many teachers from Marion County.

Efforts can be made to continue (a) the grant overseen by the magistrate and Boone County Mentoring that now funds 75% of the LHS Graduation Coach and (b) the Lebanon Redevelopment Commission grant that now funds 100% of the Career Engagement Coordinator. These grants together with the additional $763,560 that the LCSC Education Fund will receive next year from the state sales tax that was increased in 2008 (according to the Indiana State Teachers Association estimates at https://www.ista-in.org/uploads/FY_21-23_School_Funding_Formula_CCR_Run.pdf) will provide for - or economically phase in - the elementary literacy coaches, certified STEM teachers, and behavioral support staff.

LCSC teachers are called to prepare our students for great careers and meaningful lives. They are reasonably paid now, and future revenue increases from the existing state sales tax should be used for more pay increases. The unneeded operating referendum should be defeated because it would increase taxes on those who can least afford it. 

Untrue Security Staffing Scare Tactic

Supporters of the unneeded operating referendum declare: "If an operating referendum is not successful, we will be forced to reduce our security staffing." This is an UNTRUE assertion meant to scare folks into supporting the operating referendum.

The 2020-21 LCSC "Descriptive Listing by Fund and Account Report" from the Indiana Department of Education web page at https://form9.doe.in.gov/public/home/dashboard?# shows that $405,139.40 in Operating Fund revenues were used to pay for our school resource officers. The City contributed $270,000 of the security services revenues while property taxes within the property tax caps paid the rest.

The City has inexplicably stopped its $270,000 contribution to the LCSC security services. Therefore, LCSC will need to increase property taxes to maintain the school resource officers now in our schools. An LCSC Operating Fund property tax rate increase within the property tax caps of about $0.0158 will replace the $270,000 that was paid by the City. HOWEVER, LCSC wants us to pass an operating referendum to increase our property tax rate by $0.1500 (or almost ten times as much) outside the property tax caps in order to maintain the LCSC security staffing.

LCSC has not been shy about increasing our property taxes. Look at your recently received property tax bill to see how much more you are paying this year to LCSC. The 2020-21 LCSC total property taxes per student increased between 62 and 70 percent from seven years prior, while the rate of inflation only increased 15 percent. NOTE: send an E-mail to taxless3@comcast.net if you wish to receive spreadsheet information detailing the LCSC property tax increases.

LCSC can continue "business as usual" with a small property tax increase within the property tax caps - instead of a huge operating referendum property tax increase outside the property tax caps - to maintain the school resource officers now in our schools. It is an UNTRUE cynical manipulation to say that passing the operating referendum is necessary to maintain our school security staffing!

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This page was last updated on 04/17/22 .