Frequently Asked Questions
At a special session on July 10, 2019, the CCS Board of School Trustees passed a resolution to place a school safety referendum on the ballot for the election on November 5, 2019. To watch the special session, please click here.
- 1. Why A School Safety Referendum?
- 2. If The School Safety Referendum Passes, How Would the Funds Be Used?
- 3. How Much Will This Referendum Cost Me?
- 4. Will This School Safety Referendum Replace the Referendum That Was Passed in 2017?
- 5. When Will The Community Vote On This Referendum?
- 6. What If the School Safety Referendum Does Not Pass?
- 7. Where Can I Go To Learn More About The School Safety Referendum?
1. Why A School Safety Referendum?
As the trend of violence and mental health concerns in schools across our state and nation continue to rise, it is imperative that the district add additional layers to our school safety program. We want to make these significant safety investments so that the students, staff and families we serve will have access to these resources and supports as quickly as possible.
During the 2019 Indiana Legislative Session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 127, allowing schools the opportunity to seek a property tax referendum to fund school safety initiatives for School Resource Officers, mental health programming for students, and school safety professional development and training for staff. This law is an essential tool that will help generate a funding stream to enhance school safety for the district.
2. If The School Safety Referendum Passes, How Would the Funds Be Used?
This referendum, if passed, would provide funding for the following:
- Place at least one highly trained School Resource Officer (SRO) in every school in the district;
- Provide additional mental health programming for students in every school across the district;
- Provide professional development and training for our students, staff, and community to improve school safety and reduce violence.
3. How Much Will This Referendum Cost Me?
The new law permits school districts to impose a maximum of $.10 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation. The district will not be asking for the maximum. We are proposing a referendum for no more than $.05 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This would generate a maximum of approximately $5 million dollars per year.
If this referendum is approved by voters, it would be good for eight years.
The chart below will give you an idea of the approximate annual increase in property tax for CCS homeowners.
|
Assessed Home Value |
Approximate Annual Increase in Property Taxes |
|
$250,000 |
$65.13 |
| $350,000 | $99.12 |
|
$500,000 |
$146.38 |
|
$750,000 |
$232.88 |
Carmel homeowners can use this tax calculator to view what their approximate annual increase in property taxes would be if the referendum is passed. Even with this tax increase, Carmel Clay Schools will continue have the lowest education tax in Hamilton County.
4. Will This School Safety Referendum Replace the Referendum That Was Passed in 2017?
5. When Will The Community Vote On This Referendum?
November 5, 2019 General Election.
The question on the ballot will read:
“For the eight (8) calendar years immediately following the holding of the referendum, should the school corporation impose a property tax rate that does not exceed five cents ($0.05) on each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation and that is in addition to all other property taxes imposed by the school corporation for the purpose of funding the following in Carmel Clay Schools: The employment or compensation of school resource officers for all school buildings; programs to address youth specific mental illness for all students; and professional development programs for teachers, administrators, and other school employees designed to improve school safety and reduce violence?”
You can visit the Hamilton County Voter Registration Website for information about voting.
6. What If the School Safety Referendum Does Not Pass?
If the referendum does not pass, the district will not be able to fund the additional school resource officers needed to have an SRO in each school. The district will not be able to fund additional mental health services and supports for students across the district. CCS will be limited in providing new and on-going school safety training for students, staff and the community.