Jeep Strong advocating for referendum support

A political action committee supporting the continuation of the Northeast Dubois School Corporation referendum is taking steps to let constituents understand the importance of the ballot question.

While this is a municipal election cycle, registered voters in Harbison 1 and 2, Columbia, Hall 1 and 2, and Marion 1 and 2 have a ballot question to respond to regarding the continuance of the referendum originally passed in 2016.

The 2016 referendum question allowed the corporation to add an operational tax levy of up to 18 cents per $100 of assessed value for property taxpayers to support the school corporation.

The corporation currently has the lowest tax rate in the county among the four school corporations. In 2023, property owners paid about 97.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, with the operating referendum accounting for 16.6 cents of that amount.

If the referendum is allowed to expire, the school corporation would likely eat through its cash reserves in about four years. Those reserves would be used to cover operating expenses, according to the corporation’s financial advisor, Stifel.

Organizers of Jeep Strong are concerned about the future of the school corporation if the referendum is not renewed.

“The fact is it won’t be sunshine and rainbows and would potentially be the beginning to the end of Northeast Dubois Schools,” said Jeep Strong chairperson Jason Hagen. “The corporation would move into a deficit, meaning expenses are outweighing revenues. Unfortunately, education is a business, and just like any business, when revenues decrease, cuts have to be made.”

To continue to operate, Hagen said the corporation would likely have to reduce extracurricular activities, academic programming and staffing.

“The unfortunate part would be the impact is all focused towards our students,” he said. “They are the ones who lose. If the school corporation is forced to cut programs and extracurricular activities, a downward spiral is created. Students will leave to find the programs and activities that we are no longer able to provide.” 

In Indiana, the operating dollars follow the student. Since 2016, the student population at Northeast Dubois School Corporation has dropped from 879 to 769. Hagen says cuts could lead to more students leaving the corporation for other schools offering the programs. As students leave, the operational funds follow them.

“So, less funding would be received, causing additional cuts to be made,” Hagen said. “It would be a continued downward spiral with less and less funding, meaning a continuation of cuts until eventually there is nothing left to cut!”

Jeep Strong is hosting a community meeting in the Northeast Dubois Intermediate School Multipurpose Room at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Hagen noted that the original referendum supported the school corporation in a number of ways.

They have added the Jeep Engineering and Manufacturing program, which has become a student-led manufacturing business. You can learn more here.

They have transitioned to a weighted grading system that helps students with college placement and obtaining scholarships.

Northeast Dubois became an Indiana College Core High School, which allows students to take up to 30 hours of general education, college-level coursework that can be transferred between all Indiana public colleges and universities and some private ones.

Soon, Northeast Dubois will be designated as an Early College High School and become an Indiana Department of Education STEM-certified school. Both are important for the continued success of students seeking degrees in high-skill careers.

“The addition of these programs would not have been entirely possible without the support of the taxpayer-funded referendum,” said Hagen.

The corporation has also added five new extracurricular activities since the 2016 referendum. Those include archery, robotics, drama club, boys’ golf and this year, girls’ golf.

“Extracurricular activities, whether it be sports, clubs, band, FFA, or drama, are all vital because they boost students’ educational experiences,” said Hagen. “Participating in extracurricular activities helps build teamwork, leadership, communication, relationships, and a sense of belonging, all of which help students to develop and prepare for life.”

To continue to support these programs, Hagen and Jeep Strong are advocating for voters to hit yes on the ballot.

However, they are concerned that some additional language the state required on the question could confuse voters. It states that by approving the operating referendum, business and residential property owners are agreeing to increase property taxes by 22.2 percent. The 22.2 percent is derived from the 2023 tax levy by dividing 18 cents by the tax levy amount without the operating referendum added, or 18 cents divided by 80.07 cents equals .222 (22.2 percent).

According to Hagen, voters should understand this is a continuation of the existing operating referendum and not an additional 22.2 percent on top of what taxpayers are currently paying.

Here is what you will see on the ballot.

“Shall Northeast Dubois County School Corporation continue to impose increased property taxes paid to the school corporation by homeowners and businesses for eight (8) years immediately following the holding of the referendum for the purpose of funding academic programming, managing class sizes, extracurricular activities, and any other educational and operational needs with the renewal of the existing maximum referendum property tax rate of $0.18? The property tax increase requested in this referendum was originally approved by the voters in 2016 and if extended, will increase the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a residence within the school corporation by 22.2% and if extended will increase the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a business property within the school corporation by 22.2%.” Northeast Dubois School Corporation 2023 Referendum Renewal Question

Early voting is currently underway at the County Annex Monday through Friday. On Saturday, November 4, voters can go to Dubois Ruritan Park to vote from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Tuesday, November 7, polls will be open at Dubois Ruritan Park and Celestine Community Club for voters.

It is important to note that since the county has become a voting center county, all residents can vote at any of the voting centers open throughout the county. The county has more locations and voting times listed here.