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Dear Editor:
Members of Fishers One leadership team recently met with representatives from the Hamilton Southeastern Schools (HSES) Referendum Committee and Advance HSE Political Action Committee to discuss the upcoming referendum. The meeting was to begin dialogue with this group so Fishers One can provide and share important information to the voting public in the coming months.
Fishers One emphasizes that its role is focused on educating the community about the facts and data associated with the Operating Referendum. At this time, Fishers One neither advocates for nor opposes the referendum. Advance HSE PAC is the organization tasked with raising campaign marketing funds to promote the referendum before the November election.
Our organization is expecting HSES to present the recommended ballot question and rate language to the public and Hamilton Southeastern School Board during the upcoming meeting on July 12. If that language passes, it will then be included on the Nov. 7 ballot. Fishers One commits to the community to provide information in order for the voters to make an informed decision.
Diane Eaton, the founder of Fishers One, expressed that, “Taxpayers are likely going to be asked to decide whether they want to support the referendum in November, therefore they should have all of the transparent information to make their decision.”
Fishers One is asking HSES to address the following areas with supporting data in future presentations:
- 2016 Referendum stated goals and outcomes
- Any budget shortfall
- Proposed budget cuts or reductions prior to the 2023 Operating Referendum
- Detailed referendum spending budget
- Past and projected enrollment
- Impact of increased state funding and increased property values on the HSES budget
- Impact of referendum tax on taxpayers’ bill
- Detailed budget cuts plan if referendum is not successful
Fishers One believes that by addressing the above topics and presenting supporting data in a clear and accessible manner, HSES can empower the community to make informed decisions on their vote. We encourage community members to email their questions directly to Dr. Stokes and HSES Board of Trustees.
Fishers One
The eight points above have already been answered by HSE admin in multiple work sessions and board meetings. The videos of those meetings are available on HSE website for individuals to review to make informed decisions. There is a lot of misinformation circulating online from those that oppose the referendum. It is a renewal-not a new tax and likely to go down. If it is not passed, it hurts our schools, our kids, the community, and property values. If we want our children to succeed, lets give them the best opportunities to succeed which includes supporting the referendum to support academic excellence.
Thank you for the well-written LTE. I’ve been out of the loop on the referendum discussion and saw such hatefulness around the topic that I didn’t bother looking into it. This letter very clearly spells out where and how I can find the facts for myself. I appreciate your logical, data-based approach. Asking questions is ALWAYS good. Anything that sounds like “shut up” or “how dare you question” or “you’re not even smart enough to understand” always concerns me, as it should anyone. Thank you.