Niedermeyer
Editor’s note: Given the questions voters have had surrounding the Noblesville Schools referendum, Noblesville Schools Superintendent Dr. Beth Niedermeyer sent this list of myths about the upcoming referendum, and corrections to those myths.
Myth: The 2016 referendum was supposed to give raises to teachers.
Fact: The 2016 referendum was about maintaining staff positions and programming and was a reduction in the referendum rate. 2016 referendum dollars are being spent exactly how Noblesville Schools said they would be: To maintain 150 staff positions and programming in art, music, physical education, STEM, media services and more. Funds are also being used to cover some transportation expenses.
Myth: The 2018 referendum will be in addition to the 2016 referendum.
Fact: If the 2018 referendum is approved, it will replace the 2016 referendum.
Myth: I don’t have kids in school so this doesn’t concern me.
Fact: The ability to attract businesses to Noblesville, prepare the future workforce, keep property values high and maintain Noblesville’s standard of living are all directly related to the strength of the city’s largest employer – Noblesville Schools. Mayor John Ditslear, the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce, and many business and community leaders have endorsed the referendum because of this.
Myth: Noblesville Schools’ list of safety needs is a quickly thrown together over-reaction to the shooting that happened.
Fact: Noblesville Schools has had a safety committee made up of law enforcement experts and parents for almost 10 years. Safety enhancement planning with this team was already in process prior to the school shooting. The shooting did accelerate interest in implementing these additional safety measures as soon as possible. The list of specific safety improvement was researched and crafted based on the advice of law enforcement and safety experts, as well as public input from a March 2018 community safety meeting. Specifics of the requested safety measures can be found at noblesvilleschools.org.
Myth: Noblesville Schools must be mismanaging funds since it keeps asking for referendum money from the community.
Fact: Noblesville Schools has lost $46.5 million in funding because of changes in the state education funding formula, and because of revenue the district is no longer able to collect due to property tax caps that were implemented in 2010. The property tax change made Indiana a referendum state and this process is the new norm for how schools are funded.
Myth: Noblesville Schools could pay its teachers better if it paid other employee groups (like its leadership) less.
Fact: Until 2017, Noblesville teacher salaries were comparable to other area districts. Neighbor districts recently raised their referendum rates while Noblesville Schools lowered its rates in 2016. Due to the teacher shortage and recent pay increases by neighbor districts, Noblesville teachers are now leaving for nearby positions that can pay $5,000 to $15,000 more. With approximately 650 teachers, additional funding is required to address this issue. All employee groups, including the district leadership team, serve students, programming and the functions of running a large organization. The district carefully compares leadership salaries to those of other area schools and Noblesville salaries are comparable. Even if Noblesville Schools could hypothetically get rid of all leaders and still have the district function, those additional funds would not be enough to cover the needs of teachers, the district’s largest employee group.
Myth: This referendum will double my property taxes.
Fact: This referendum will double the referendum rate from 18.9 cents to 37 cents. For a home valued at $206,000, this means $15 more per month. That home currently pays $192 per year under the 2016 referendum, and the 2018 referendum rate would be $376 per year. That’s an additional $184 per year – an additional $15 per month. The website milleryes.org has a calculator residents can use to see how much they pay currently and what they would pay. Residents can also contact the Hamilton County Assessor’s Office for information on their taxes.
Myth: Based on other numbers I’ve seen, the referendum will cost me significantly more.
Fact: If you calculate the cost of the referendum without taking into account the property tax deductions – almost 90 percent of Noblesville residents use and/or don’t account for the fact that residents are already paying for half of the proposed 37-cent rate (18.9 cents) – you will not get an accurate snapshot of how much in addition the referendum would cost. The website milleryes.org has a calculator residents can use to see how much they pay currently and what they would pay. Residents can also contact the Hamilton County Assessor’s Office for information on their taxes.