There are consequences to removing 20 percent of Noblesville Schools’ budget

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Dear Editor:

The $3 million in cuts Noblesville Schools made last year should not be dismissed as something that can be repeated.

Those cuts have already meant reductions in staff and support services. The district has frozen administrative salaries, reduced positions, renegotiated contracts, and made other cuts. Yet, those changes are not close to the 20 percent cuts needed without a continuing referendum.

The referendum provides about $25 million annually (20 percent of Noblesville Schools’ operating funding). Without that funding, they are breaking down the potential 20 percent staffing reductions, including teachers, instructional assistants, bus drivers, maintenance/custodial staff, secretaries, and support staff. It also identifies potential reductions in counselors, social workers, special education, safety, transportation, academic programs, and extracurricular activities.

The question is what another massive reduction in operating revenue means for the teachers who educate, support, and protect our kids. A 20 percent loss of operating funding means fewer people, fewer services, and larger class sizes.

We can debate the referendum and the tax rate. But we should be honest about the consequences of removing roughly 20 percent of the district’s operating funding.

Dr. Chris Hartig
Noblesville