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Dear fellow Noblesville School District residents,
As the field of school board candidates for Noblesville is getting finalized, please join me in asking important questions of these candidates.
I recently posed the same question to four of the candidates (on their Facebook pages) at the time about their thoughts and plans for future school funding via a referendum. This is a vital question for these candidates, and those running in two years from now. These elected school board members will have to navigate and plan how to replace the current referendum set to expire in a few years.
Only one candidate thus far has replied to my question on their page publicly (thank you), two replied in a private message, and the other said they would not reply on their page. I hope they all at some point before the election go publicly on the record about school funding and their vision for it.
School funding is the largest part for your property taxes here in Noblesville. I supported this school funding in the past, and I still do. What I and the voters want is transparency, a plan, and that plan is communicated to the residents.
Please get to know these candidates, ask them for their plan on this vital issue, and other issues you hold dear to. Thank you.
Kevin Kalstad
Noblesville
Kevin,
I was not fortunate enough to be a candidate you asked this question to, so I will answer it now.
I agree the referendum is an important matter, and transparency on how our dollars are being spent is one of the most important jobs a board member has. I can tell you that Dr. Hile shares the commitment to fiscal transparency. As the first candidate he met with, he and I talked about the referendum, and fiscal transparency at length.
I believe that continuing a referendum in Noblesville is key to ensure we do not lose the ground we’ve made in regards to school safety, mental health, or teacher pay. Especially since we are lagging so far behind when it comes to pay within the county.
All of our neighboring districts have similar referendum, and we simply wouldn’t be able to maintain the services we offer without this additional revenue. Now, what I cannot say is how much will be needed, but I will say this. I will think carefully and not vote on the matter without listening to constituents first.
With Brian on the Board, “A Hand Raised is a Voice Heard”.