School referendum hot topic on ballot

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - Polls open Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., and while most will be voting for candidates, people in one central Indiana community will also be casting ballots on a school referendum.

Voters said “no” in Zionsville to a property tax referendum two years ago . Now, the Zionsville schools superintendent says if this one doesn’t pass, cuts will include 17 teachers, the fifth- and sixth-grade band, orchestra and choir programs, and all foreign languages for middle schoolers .

Mom Mary Reid spent the day Monday going door to door, asking people to vote “yes.”

“We chose our home for the school system,” Reid said.

She said she’s already seen changes in her kids’ classrooms because of cuts.

The referendum would add about 24 cents per $100 dollars of assessed value on a home, or about $239 dollars a year for a $200,000 home. It’s needed the superintendent said, because of the state school funding formula.

“We’ve seen a decline of 20 percent in funding, and at the same time we’ve added 450 kids since 2008,” Superintendent Scott Robison said.

Robison said he’s concerned about families moving to other districts if the referendum isn’t passed.

That’s a sentiment Reid seconded.

“This will have a real impact on whether or not people want to live here and invest here. So for our family, it could mean looking at other schools or other places to live,” she said.

Realtor Debbie Morris did not comment on this referendum, but said that in general, home buyers consider school districts when deciding where to buy.

“When buyers have a family, schools are one of the most influential factors when looking for a home to purchase,” Morris said.

Kathleen Fon is the president of Zionsville Taxpayers for Responsible Education, the group leading the “Vote No” charge.

She said she believes the district should cut back in other ways – such as teacher salaries or benefits - so a referendum wouldn’t be needed.

In 2010, the district’s referendum failed , with 61 percent of voters voting against it.