Indiana’s school funding system has changed significantly over the years. Property tax caps, changes to property tax laws, and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation have all reduced the resources available to many school districts. These changes make it increasingly difficult for schools to maintain programs and services from year to year.

Southeast Dubois County Schools is also affected by Indiana’s funding formula, which provides less state funding per student to districts with stronger local property tax bases. As a result, our schools receive less state funding per student than many other districts across Indiana.

The operating referendum helps make up for this funding gap. It provides around $1 million each year, which allows the district to continue providing the programs and services our community values. These funds help us:

• Maintain strong academic programs and opportunities for students
• Keep class sizes manageable
• Recruit and retain high-quality teachers and staff
• Support school safety and security
• Provide additional support for students’ mental health and well-being
• Expand career and technical education opportunities
• Support athletics, extracurricular activities, and other student opportunities

The referendum is an important part of our ability to maintain the quality of education our community expects while continuing to meet the changing needs of our students.

The Referendum Fund makes up approximately 6.45% of the SED budget. In the 2025 budget, it provided $1,042,999.  Annual revenue in the referendum fund is dependent on the net assessed value of the school district and changes annually.

The Referendum fund is supported through additional local property taxes approved by voters.  The current referendum approved by voters in 2020 has a maximum tax rate of $0.19.

Referendum dollars cannot be used to pay for buildings, athletic facilities, construction projects, or to repay debt. 

The Board of School Trustees provides oversight and approves expenditures, while annual financial reports are submitted to the Indiana Department of Education. The Indiana State Board of Accounts also conducts regular audits of the corporation’s financial records and procedures. Additional information about annual revenues and expenditures is available on the Southeast Dubois County School Corporation website.

No. Each year, as part of the budget process, a Referendum spending plan will be presented to the Board for approval. The budget process includes multiple public meetings where community input is welcomed. Once approved, the spending plan will identify the specific expenses that may be paid from the Referendum Fund.

The median home value in the Southeast Dubois County School Corporation is approximately $200,000. If the referendum is renewed, homeowners with a home at this value would see an estimated $9.12 annual decrease in their property tax bill. This decrease is the result of property tax credits included in Senate Bill 1. A property tax calculator is available on our website to help community members estimate how the referendum could impact their property tax bill over the next eight years.

Ballot language is regulated by the state and must be worded and calculated a certain way.  The 2026 referendum ballot question will read as follows:

Shall Southeast Dubois County School Corporation continue to increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of funding and maintaining academic and educationally-related programs and opportunities to meet the learning needs of all students, student health and safety initiatives, maintaining class sizes and recruiting and retaining teachers and staff in response to reductions in property tax revenue by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed $0.19 and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed $1,242,788.  If this operating referendum public question is NOT approved by the voters for a median residence of $200,000, the property’s annual tax bill would decrease by $164 per year.  If the operating referendum public question is approved by voters, it would be a renewal of the most recent operating referendum public question passed in 2020 with a property tax rate of $0.19.

Visit IndianaVoters.in.gov or Vote411 to register to vote, check your voter registration status, learn about early and absentee voting, find your polling location, and access other election information.  

All residents who live within the Southeast Dubois County School Corporation boundaries will see the referendum on the November 3, 2026 ballot.  This means that all eligible voters in the district have an opportunity to vote on the referendum, regardless of whether they have children attending Southeast Dubois Schools.

Facility improvements are not funded through referendum dollars or education funds.  School corporations have less flexibility than individuals or businesses to move money between funds because state law establishes specific rules for how school funds may be used.  Facility improvements are funded through a separate financing source, typically bonds or loans.  Referendum funds are used to support staff and educational programs and services for students.

Senate Bill 1 changed the rules surrounding school referendums and placed new restrictions on when school corporations can seek voter approval. Because of these changes, waiting until 2028 could limit the district’s ability to place a renewal on the ballot when needed. By seeking renewal now, the district can maintain the funding that supports staff and educational programs without creating a gap in funding. If approved by voters, the new referendum would replace the existing referendum—it is not an additional referendum or a request for additional funding. It is simply a renewal that allows the district to continue the funding currently provided through the existing referendum.

The 2020 referendum provided funding to support the needs of our students and staff. Specifically, referendum funds have been used to support academic and educational programs, student mental health and safety initiatives, maintaining reasonable class sizes, and recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and staff. The proposed referendum renewal would continue to fund and maintain these same priorities.  More information about expenditures from the 2020 referendum are available on the SED website.