Tracy
By EMILY TRACY, for the Democrat
Brown County Schools has added a page full of resources in reference to the upcoming referendum this November on our school website.
The website offers, in detail, our plan for use of the referendum funds, a video outlining the need for the referendum and the anticipated tax calculator. In our continued effort to be transparent, we have established this webpage to provide local taxpayers with the information they’ll need to decide the future course of our Brown County Schools.
We encourage residents to utilize the tax investment calculator to learn the facts about the amount of their investment in BCS. First, click on the button to search for your property and find your taxable assessment value. Then use that value to calculate your adjusted tax based on the proposal. This will provide you with your monthly specific tax investment.
Here are a few of our most frequently asked questions regarding the referendum:
Q: What does the current school referendum do for Brown County Schools?
A: The current eight-year referendum, passed in 2016, is for an eight-year operating referendum of $0.08 for every $100 of assessed property value. One penny goes to the Career Resource Center and seven pennies go to employee salaries and benefits across the district. The current $0.08 school levy generates approximately $1.2 million per year — money that is needed to keep our school district financially sound. BCS currently uses 100% of these operating levy dollars to directly fund wages and benefits for our incredible teachers and support staff at BCS and the Career Resource Center.
Q: Why does Brown County Schools need a referendum?
A: The state strictly limits how we can spend the dollars we receive from them based on student enrollment numbers. These state dollars cannot be used to pay staff at our BCS campuses like custodians, office secretaries, principals, nurses and bus drivers. However, we are able to use the money from the operating referendum to directly support these vital programs and staff. The cost to provide a quality education and safe learning environment to our students, as well as competitive salary and benefits to our teachers and staff has increased since the last referendum vote in 2016.
Q: Why does BCS need to renew the 2016 referendum now?
A: We are currently in year seven of our current referendum. We are seeking to replace that $0.08 rate on the November 2022 ballot and increase it by $0.04, for a total of $0.12 per $100 of assessed property value. If we do not successfully pass the referendum, we will be forced to absorb approximately $1,200,000 back into our budget, which we cannot do while also continuing to provide highly effective student experiences, student outcomes and athletic programs. We have chosen to run the vote in November rather than May 2023 because to do so in May would require an expensive special election.
Q: Why is BCS asking for more than the 2016 referendum?
A: The state dollars in our education fund cannot support any of the staff or programming at the Career Resource Center or the new Early Childhood Education Center in Nashville, and these two entities are vital to our entire county. We simply do not get funding for preschool or adult education from the state. Brown County Schools have been able to expand opportunities for adult education over the years due to the last referendum and now over 16,000 participants have completed professional coursework to prepare them for better paying jobs. The Early Childhood Center is a need for the community in Nashville. Brown County Schools will be able to offer a full Birth-5 Program with the support of this referendum.
In addition, Brown County Schools is the second lowest of the 10 surrounding area districts offering the lowest starting salary and the lowest maximum salary for certified teaching staff. The only district that is lower than Brown County Schools in our area is Edinburgh Community School Corporation. Last May, the community of Edinburgh also recognized this disparity and successfully supported their school district by passing a 39 cent operating referendum. In order to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and staff for our kids in Brown County, we need to be able to offer competitive wages and benefits like our neighbors.
Q: What will happen if the referendum is not passed?
A: If the community votes not to support our schools, we will be forced to significantly reduce programming and services across academics, the arts, and athletics; freeze salary and wages for staff; and cut jobs across the district.
If the referendum fails in November, we will be forced to increase class sizes, eliminate teaching positions, and make major changes to our academic and student support programs. Our valuable programs that offer career education, summer internships, and other educational options will be drastically reduced. Our Career Resource Center, Early Childhood, business and entrepreneurship, and elementary science programs will face substantial cuts. Finally, programs in our theater, art and music extracurricular activities will be cut. And our athletics program will face an uncertain future.
Q: What will happen if the community supports (passes) the referendum?
A: Brown County Schools can offer competitive wages and benefits for prospective teachers and staff in order to recruit and retain the best of the best for Brown County students (this includes certified teachers, support staff and transportation staff); ensure innovative programming and support small class sizes; reinstate our career and technical education courses, such as construction, trades, manufacturing, etc.; and sustain the addition of a much-needed community Early Childhood Education Center in Nashville.
Visit the 2022 referendum webpage to calculate your adjusted tax rate: www.browncountyschools.com/referendum-2022/
Questions? Contact me: [email protected].
Emily Tracy is superintendent of Brown County Schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].
