MARION COUNTY, Ind. -- Voters who live in the Warren Township school district will vote on a $40 million property tax increase when they head to the polls on May 8.
The district hopes to use the money to fund additional busing, technology, security upgrades and more.
"We need counselors, we need additional social workers, we need resource officers just so we get a good view of our school and what we need," said Dena Cushenberry, MSD of Warren Township Superintendent.
The district also wants to give every student a computing device, along with additional support for college and career readiness programs.
Warren Township is also hoping for more money to recruit and retain teachers. District leaders say there has been significant turnover in the last five years.
"We really believe our teachers are not, they're underpaid right now," said Cushenberry.
There is no busing for extracurricular activities in Warren Township, but that could change with the referendum.
"This will give the opportunity for every student to be involved in after-school activities," said Cushenberry.
If the referendum passes, it would cost $34.65 more in property taxes per year for the owner of a house worth $75,000.
For a house worth $100,000, the increase would roughly double.
One homeowner living on a fixed income told us they would take a financial hit.
Two others told us they'll support the referendum.
"We're going to have to improve the security in all the schools, whatever it costs. It's got to be done because we've got too many people that have the criminal tendency and we need to get that corrected," said Francis Urbain, taxpayer.
"We need a lot more money to be put into those schools anyway."
When asked how the district reached the point of requesting a referendum, the deputy superintendent points to the statehouse.
"We are averaging a 50-75 student increase in enrollment per year. Unfortunately the last three years, our state funding has declined. So even though we're growing in students, we're getting less money," said Tim Hanson, MSD of Warren Township Deputy Superintendent.
The complete ask from the Warren Township School District is an additional $5 million per year, for eight years, for a total of $40 million.
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