Noblesville Schools: referendum would prevent cuts

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - The Noblesville School Board has decided, like many other school districts across the state, that they have to make drastic cuts in order to make up for a budget shortfall.

The board president told 24-Hour News 8 that in order to prevent the cuts, a May school referendum has to pass.

Members of the Noblesville School Board met Tuesday night in front of a packed house to vote to cut $3.5 million from the schools operating budget. Fifty teaching positions and student programs are on the line.

"These cuts are pretty painful to us as a school board, as administration, as a corporation, as a community," said Noblesville School Board President Julia Kozicki.

Kozicki said bottom line the school district is running out of money.

"When our sources of revenue are reduced, and in a growing community where we have more students that we need to teach, then we need to find ways to make our budget come into balance," Kozicki said.

Saturday, the Indiana General Assembly passed an education flexibility bill allowing schools an option to transfer funds from one budget to another. Kozicki said that's not enough.

"It will provide us with a little bit of flexibility, the bill will give us in Noblesville the ability to move five percent of our capital projects fund into our general operating fund," said Kozicki.

That means about $350,000.

"It will save a few jobs, but its not going to totally stop the bleeding," Kozicki said.

Leigh Ann Roudebush has two children in Noblesville Schools. She said she can't imagine the cuts in the district.

"Noblesville is a strong community and we have great teachers and it just really stinks if we are going to have to get rid of some of those teachers," said Roudebush.

Tuesday's vote was over whether to provide notice that unless the May 4 referendum passes, the positions could be eliminated.