Hello everyone.
The time has finally come to cast your vote. With the historic news of the last 48 hours, this vote isn’t a life or death issue to be certain, but it is a very important vote in terms of the opportunities the 9,000 children of Franklin Township will receive as this community moves forward.
I can’t tell you how important voter turn-out will be tomorrow. It will literally dictate this election. So if the rains continue and you think, “I’m just not gonna make it there, but my vote won’t mean anything anyway, so it’s no big deal.”…. think again. If you think this election cannot come down to your vote… you are wrong. YOU HAVE TO GET THERE TO VOTE YES. The contest is who gets more people to come! The worse the weather, the more committed the winning side has to be. Don’t be the reason this does not pass.
Every single vote will matter. Every parent who cares about their child’s education better show up and make their voice heard. If you don’t want your child’s school to close… then VOTE YES. If you don’t want to take your kids to school every day… then VOTE YES. If you don’t want to lose 81 teachers, as well as Art, Music, PE and Library… then VOTE YES.
I recognize not everyone will vote in favor of this referendum. That’s democracy at work. My concern is that well intentioned people who are on the fence have not been honestly informed regarding the circumstances and impact of this referendum. So, let me condense 6 emails and 45-50 pages of explanation into 5 points for everyone to consider as they walk into the ballot booth:
- Franklin Township has been a high growth school district for many years. It grew by 46% between 2000-2007 (or by 2,598 students). With that rapid growth came the need for new schools to house the kids… and in 2007 FT was still the 4th fastest growing school district in the state.
- Franklin Township receives less funding per student than any area school district and is ranked 291 out of 349 school systems in the state in terms of funding per student. That isn’t a Superintendent or a School Board problem. That is a STATE OF INDIANA problem that has negatively impacted this township for years and years. How bad is it? FTCSC and two other school districts are suing the state. If our name was IPS, we’d have 26 million more per year and no need for a referendum. It is not. The state tried to get the case thrown out and the judge refused. In addition, the property tax caps recently enacted cut the funding literally IN HALF that Franklin Township receives, thus there is a funding gap created that is an additional burden on top of the low funding per student numbers described above.
- Franklin Township schools have NOT received more funding in 2011 from the state than it did in 2010. They received more appropriations… but appropriations are not funds. It is a lie to say otherwise. The “appropriations” from the state increased by $5.3 million for FTCSC, but appropriations are just a number the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) says the schools are approved to spend up to and no more than… funny thing - there is no cash to fund the appropriations approved by the state, thus the need for this referendum. This is so important to understand. In essence, the DLGF is giving an appropriations number and saying, this is what you need to offer services Franklin Township schools... but you have to go and find the cash to offer these services. Funding was actually CUT by $2.5 million in each of the last 2 years.
- YOUR PROPERTY TAXES WILL NOT GO UP AS A RESULT OF VOTING YES FOR THIS REFERENDUM. This is the year that the 1% tax cap actually kicks in… so you haven’t seen the reduction yet. Opponents want you to think your taxes will skyrocket. They will not. They will still be the 9th lowest property taxes you have paid in Franklin Township in the last 10 years. The property taxes after a YES VOTE will be less than in 2010.
- If Franklin Township finds new funding… like the $1.7 million in concessions the teachers union recently made or the Governor’s plan to give more money to schools (announced last week)… these events will reduce the amount of tax levy required. The school just can’t say, “So what, we will take the money anyway” because the DLGF has to approve the school budget EVERY YEAR and the State (DLGF) will not allow FTCSC to charge you more than is necessary. The DLGF approves the school budget. They decide how much of the referendum money is necessary. It is quite likely all of the request will not be needed. Keep in mind school officials have to plan now in this referendum request for what they MIGHT NEED in year 7 (or 2017), which is pretty difficult. That is the reason for this specific request. The STATE is your watchdog. The DLGF will approve the budget annually.
Understand this referendum isn’t about creating foreclosures… it isn’t logical that foreclosures are created if your taxes actually drop from the previous year. This is about being a community that either chooses to support or refuses to support education. Did you ride a bus to school as a kid? Did you have the opportunity to take art, music and PE as a kid? Did you get to go to the library at school as a kid?
9,000 kids will be affected… You are their voice… What example will you set for them?
Thanks for your consideration!
