Steve Manka supports Hamilton Southeastern Schools and agrees the district’s two high schools need additional space. But on Tuesday, he plans to vote against the district’s $95 million referendum that would fund those expansions.
HSE is among seven Indiana school districts, including neighboring Noblesville schools, that will go before the voters with referendums Tuesday.
In urging its passage, Superintendent Brian Smith and other HSE administrators have said that growing enrollment is expected to surpass capacity at both Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern high schools by 2015. Building add-ons would create space for 1,000 more students
at each school, increasing their capacity to 3,700 each.Manka is part of a small but vocal minority of Hamilton County homeowners voicing concerns over how their property tax will increase — while the majority of property owners in the HSE district would see little, if any, change to current bills if the referendum passes.
A combination of tax caps and expiring bonds means all district homeowners would pay a new tax rate
, but only 35 percent would pay above their current rate.“If 35 percent of the people are going to be paying more taxes, and 100 people get to vote, it is like taxation without representation,” said Manka, a father of two juniors at Hamilton Southeastern High School. “I don’t believe that everyone is sharing
in the burden equally. The problem is the school board wants to blame the legislature for this. But if they come up with a referendum, they should find a way to make it fair.”Smith says that without the additions, both schools will require portable classrooms to meet expected enrollment growth.
If voters approve the referendum, homeowners with a house valued at or above $230,000 could pay more annually in taxes. Specific increases depend on where the house is located.
...
See the full article here:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013305030067
