5 things to know about the School City of Mishawaka's May 2 referendum

MISHAWAKA — As property tax bills make their way to St. Joseph County homeowners, Mishawaka school leaders are answering new questions about their May 2 referendum.

Home values are up, meaning what residents owe on local taxes is up, too. Mishawaka leaders, however, say they're not looking to increase taxing rates, just to continue on what they've asked in the past.

With the district's campaign nearing the final stretch, here's a look at what you need to know about Mishawaka's referendum.

What is School City of Mishawaka asking?

Mishawaka is asking to continue its current operating referendum at the same rate it's been taxed in the past. The referendum, if approved by voters, would bring the district an estimated $2.7 million a year over the next eight years.

What residents pay will vary based on the value of their home or property, and certain deductions may apply. Materials provided by the Our Children Your Future political action committee estimate the owners of a home with a market value of $100,000 would pay about $82.27 into the referendum each year.

A tax calculator is available at the website supportmishawakaschools.com/your-cost to help homeowners estimate what they would pay should the referendum pass.

Why is Mishawaka schools seeking a referendum?

The district is seeking a renewal of its 2016 operating referendum, which is set to expire at the end of 2023. When Mishawaka passed its referendum the first time, state law allowed school districts to seek a tax increase for seven years. The law has since changed allowing the corporation to seek eight years of funding this time.

School leaders say funding sources are limited. The district receives revenue from two major streams of revenue — the state, which allocates money based on student enrollment, and property tax.

At about 5,000 students, school officials say, they've found a sweet spot. Growing much larger simply to increase state funding could lead to larger class sizes and less individualized instruction. And, with an overall property base of eight square miles, landlocked by South Bend to the west and Penn-Harris-Madison to the east, there's not much room for the district to grow its tax base.

District leaders say they also want to continue supporting teachers and programs currently paid out of one-time federal pandemic relief dollars, set to fall off in 2024, and with the corporation's soon-to-expire referendum. A tax continuance could also help the district place new school resource officers in each elementary. Currently, one officer is shared between seven Mishawaka elementary schools. The middle and high school each have their own.

The district has set the following annual budget for its referendum money should the question pass:

• $1.1 million for 14 education staff, including six Project Lead the Way teachers, five instructional coaches and three social workers

• $670,000 for seven technology staff

• $480,000 for seven school safety staff

• $200,000 for pay increases

• $235,000 for technology hardware and software

What's been done with Mishawaka referendum money so far?

The district passed two types of referendums in 2016 — an operating referendum, which school leaders are currently seeking to continue, and a capital referendum. The capital referendum allowed the district to enter into a 15-year bond to pay for things like new security vestibules at school entrances and repairs to roofing, piping and boiler systems. That referendum will carry over at the same rate through the life of the bond, or for another eight years.

Mishawaka: School district kicks off 2023 referendum campaign

School leaders have used their current operating referendum, the one they seek to renew, toward increases in teacher pay and support for 1:1 technology, or providing a device for every student. School Board President Holly Parks said the referendum came just in time for the district to establish these technology supports before the pandemic struck.

Do any Mishawaka residents oppose the referendum?

Despite recent referendum losses in nearby Concord and Elkhart districts, Mishawaka leaders say they've seen no organized opposition campaign this spring. Instead, what's become more common in a recent series of town halls, is residents coming with questions about their tax bill.

Many residents are learning this week what they owe for 2022, a year of record inflation, and that's especially strained some homeowners living on a fixed income, especially as property values increase.

Administrators say they're sensitive to the concerns of those living on a fixed income, which is why they're asking only to continue the referendum at the same tax rate and not at an increase. Just as homeowners are feeling the effects of inflation, Mishawaka leaders say, so too are schools.

How can I vote in the May 2 referendum?

Polls are open now for early voting in two St. Joseph County locations — the County-City Buildings at 227 W. Jefferson Blvd. in downtown South Bend and the Mishawaka County Services Building at 219 Lincolnway West in downtown Mishawaka. Both centers are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays; from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 30; and from 8 a.m. to noon May 1, the last day of early voting.

Referendum continued: What to know about Mishawaka school tax rate

Two dozen voting center locations, including the Mishawaka County Services Building, will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day, May 2. A complete list of voting center locations is available online at sjcindiana.com/2204/Vote-Center-Locations.

Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Carley Lanich at clanich@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter:@carleylanich.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: 5 things to know about the School City of Mishawaka's May 2 referendum