A group of parents and patrons of the Concord Community Schools have come together to support a ballot referendum to be decided May 6.
They formed the committee Yes For Concord Kids to work toward passage of the property tax increase referendum for $0.405 per $100 of net assessed value of homes to raise money to benefit Concord students.
Since 2008 when the constitutional amendment for tax caps was approved by Indiana voters, Concord has lost $10 million and the system is facing another $4.2 million shortfall this year — a 68.2 percent projected loss in property tax revenue, according to committee members.
“The schools are in desperate need of funding. My feelings are very positive (about the effectiveness of the committee). It’s going very well and we have a dedicated group of people,” said Kathy Schiavone, co-chairperson along with Dawn Fisher of Yes for Concord Kids.
“I want people to go out and vote May 6,” Schiavone said.
According to the committeee, Concord ranks eighth statewide in the percentage of lost local revenue out of 292 school districts. The school corporation has grown by 600 students, or 12 percent of the school population since 2005.
“Our goal is to get the word out how we ended up in this situation and what can be done about it. We want to get a commitment from people to show up at the polls on May 6 to vote for the referendum,” Fisher said. “Not everyone in the group has a current vested interest but has had children in the system. They have seen how the schools made a difference in their children and have felt the calling to support the school and community.”
There are 5,000 Concord students who are impacted daily by dwindling property tax revenues that result in higher class sizes and out-of-date technology, Schiavone said.
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