Noblesville School Board stands ready to answer your questions about upcoming referendum vote

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Dear Editor:

The members of the Noblesville Schools Board are in a unique position. We are parents and grandparents of Noblesville Schools students. We are taxpayers and community members.

And we are elected board members responsible for overseeing Noblesville Schools’ $170 million budget.

Because of those roles, we understand both sides of the decision before our community. We have firsthand knowledge of the tax impact on ourselves and on our neighbors if the proposed referendum passes, while also understanding the programs, opportunities, and staff that are at risk if it doesn’t.

Our own children and grandchildren have benefited from many of the “extras” Noblesville Schools provides, and we understand what it costs to provide them. They have been marching band members, swimmers, cross-country runners, football players, AP and dual-credit students, interns with local businesses, and recipients of Certified Nursing Assistant certifications, just to name a few.

At the same time, we are homeowners and taxpayers ourselves. We have experienced increases in our assessed property values and the tax implications that come with them.

With all of that in mind, we as a board made the decision to put the referendum question on the ballot in 2026 to give the residents of Noblesville the opportunity to decide whether the programs, opportunities, and services that help make Noblesville Schools one of the top-performing districts in the state are worth preserving.

For each of us, they are.

But we also understand that residents need our commitment to making the tax impact as manageable as possible. We know families are feeling the effects of a higher cost of living, and we are sensitive to that. That is why we approved a resolution committing to a tax rate lower than the maximum rate described on the ballot. Our commitment is 38.5 cents per $100 of net assessed value in 2027, with any annual increase limited to no more than 4 cents per year over the full eight years. We encourage voters to check the calculator on the district’s website to get an accurate estimate of their property tax impact not only for 2027, but for the entire eight-year period of the proposed referendum.

As board members with an in-depth understanding of our district’s finances, we also want the community to understand the magnitude of what is at stake. The expiring referendum currently provides $25 million per year, which is a significant portion of our district’s operational budget. This funding supports ongoing operating expenses; losing that level of funding would require substantial cuts to programs and staff. There is no way around it.

Just as costs have increased in your household budget, they have increased for our schools. Diesel fuel for our buses, insurance, utilities, and other operating expenses cost significantly more today than they did yesterday. In addition, it’s important to understand that operating costs are recurrent, not one-time expenses. For example, salary and benefit increases given to our teachers, which enable us to hire and retain the best and brightest, don’t stop after one year; they become a part of our annual budget. For better or worse, referendums have become a necessity for many high-performing districts as established by our state legislature.

Ultimately, this is a local decision, as it should be, and one our community must make together. Our responsibility as a board is to make sure residents understand the impact that both a “yes” and a “no” vote will have on our schools. While the five of us are voting yes, every resident must make this decision for themselves.

We encourage you to reach out to any of us if you have questions or would like clarification about the referendum and its impact on Noblesville Schools. Our doors are always open. We are here to listen, answer questions, and serve our community.

With gratitude,

Noblesville Schools Board of School Trustees
Christi Crosser
Joe Forgey
Stephanie Lambert
Misti Ray
Bret Richardson