(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana Coalition for Public Education says it expects as many as 100 public school districts across the state could seek property tax referendums from voters this fall.
The organization says the campaigns reflect what it describes as a major shift in how public schools are funded and maintained in Indiana.
The coalition recently hosted a webinar for parents, teachers, and public school supporters focused on helping local districts prepare referendum campaigns.
According to the group, part of the pressure comes from Senate Enrolled Act 1, Indiana's property tax reform law passed last year. The coalition estimates the law will reduce public school funding by $744 million through 2028, with the largest projected losses coming in 2028 at about $336 million.
Indiana schools can seek referendums for construction projects, operating expenses, and school security costs.
Under the law, school corporation referendums can only appear on general election ballots in even-numbered years.
That means districts that do not pursue referendums this year would not have another opportunity until November 2028.
Joel Hand, general counsel and co-founder of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, says lawmakers originally agreed the state would take on a larger share of K-12 tuition support after property tax caps were introduced in 2008.
Hand says public school funding is now increasingly being directed toward private school vouchers, charter schools, career scholarships, and education savings accounts.
The coalition also points to Indiana's most recent state budget, which included a 2 percent increase in K-12 funding.
Hand says when adjusted for inflation, the state is spending at least $100 less per student than it did 16 years ago.
Brown County Schools Superintendent Emily Callahan told the webinar panel her district narrowly lost an operating referendum renewal in 2022 before voters approved a larger operating referendum two years later.