What Marion County voters need to know about 3 school referendums on the May 2023 ballot

Caroline Beck, Indianapolis Star
·4 min read

Three Marion County school districts are asking voters this May to approve referendums that will help improve school facilities, maintain school programs such as transportation and counseling, and support teacher retention.

The Indianapolis Public Schools district is the only one asking for a new capital referendum in the primary election May 2. Warren Township school district is asking for an increase to its existing operating referendum while Speedway Schools is asking for a renewal of its operating referendum.

IPS referendum: Schools receive help from Stand for Children

Indianapolis Public Schools seeks $410 million capital referendum

IPS is asking voters to approve a one-time capital referendum that will go towards much-needed building repairs and support the district's grade restructuring under the Rebuilding Stronger plan.

The capital referendum would increase the district's property tax levy to no more than $0.2066 per $100 of assessed value. The district estimates that IPS homeowners with a $138,500 home value — the median value of homes within IPS borders — would see an increase of about $36 on their annual tax bill.

IPS voters can see how the referendum will impact their monthly tax bills with the investment calculator on IPS’s website at myips.org.

A planetarium at Arlington Middle School has been out of operation for many years and is used for storage, as seen Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Indianapolis. If a $410 million capital referendum is passed in the May 2 election, IPS' would invest $66 million in Arlington Middle School improvements, including revival of the planetarium. Arlington would also become the new location for the district’s STEM program middle school, currently located at Longfellow Middle School.

The district says the referendum dollars will help transform all their elementary and middle schools from “poor” to “good” condition in about eight years.

More than 20 IPS buildings will see upgrades if voters approve the referendum. Most funds would pay for items such as repairing roofs, HVAC systems, plumbing, heating and cooling systems.

More on IPS capital referendum: Big changes set for Arlington Middle School if IPS referendum is approved by voters

Some of the biggest investments would allow the district to turn previously shuttered high schools Thomas Carr Howe and Broad Ripple into new middle schools.

District middle schools like Arlington Middle School would see some large investments in upgrading their athletic fields and supporting new incoming academic program changes under the Rebuilding Stronger plan.

Warren Township seeks increase in operating referendum

Warren Township is seeking a $88 million operating referendum that would last eight years to help sustain services brought into the district in recent years thanks to COVID relief funds.

The district is asking voters to increase the district’s current referendum rate by $0.09, bringing the rate to $0.30 per every $100 of assessed value, which the district estimates would bring in a little more than $11 million each year for eight years.

More on Warren Referendum: Warren Township school board to send $88 million referendum to voters

Some of the funds would go towards the district’s transportation needs, school counselors, school safety and security, student and staff technology, staff retention and recruitment and supporting student learning.

The last time Warren Township asked voters to approve an operating referendum was 2018. That request won 65% of the vote and generated around $5 million per year for 8 years.

The Warren Township school board meets on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 at Warren Township Education and Community Center on Post Road in Indianapolis.
The Warren Township school board meets on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 at Warren Township Education and Community Center on Post Road in Indianapolis.

If the new rate is approved, a median homeowner in the district will see an increase of about $60 to their annual tax bill, according to the district. Warren Township homeowners can use the district’s investment calculator to view the impact of the referendum on their tax bill.

Speedway seeks renewal of operating referendum

The School Town of Speedway is asking voters to renew a 2016 operating referendum to help continue funding district staff.

Unlike the other districts, the Speedway school district is not asking for an increase but a continuation of the operating referendum tax rate of $0.59 per $100 of assessed value.

Speedway voters have renewed the operating referendum before, once in 2010 with 86% approval and once in 2016 with 90% approval from voters.

District leaders said they hope to maintain the level of funding they have now to support their staff so they can continue to have the highest proficiency rates out of Marion County’s 11 school districts on the state’s ILEARN exams.

Speedway is the smallest school district in terms of enrollment in Marion County, currently serving around 1,800 students.

Student loans in Indiana: What to know about when payments resume, debt relief options

Where can I vote early?

Marion County voters who don’t want to wait till May 2 to vote can do so now at the Indianapolis City-County Building, located at 200 E. Washington St, until April 22. Hours can be found on the county website.

Eight more early voting sites will be open from April 22 to April 30. Hours can be found on Vote.indy.gov:

These locations and dozens more will be open on Election Day May 2. Voters can choose any location at https://vote.indy.gov/.

IndyStar Pulliam Fellow Cate Charron contributed to this reporting.

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy. 

Caroline’s work is supported by Report for America and Glick Philanthropies. As part of its work in Marion County, Glick Philanthropies partners with organizations focused on closing access and achievement gaps in education. 

Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of Caroline’s salary during her time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder.  

To learn more about how you can support IndyStar’s partnership with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Marion County school referendums on May 2023 ballot