By Ann Marie Shambaugh
Carmel Clay Schools will hold a replacement referendum vote this spring. The CCS school board on Feb. 13 approved the special election, set for May 2.
The current referendum will expire on Dec. 31, and without a new one CCS officials have said they will be forced to cut hundreds of jobs.
“The current referendum generates $14.5 million annually for the school district,” CCS Board President Layla Spanenberg stated in a press release. “Without it we may need to cut at least 260 jobs district wide. Academic programs not required for graduation and some extracurricular sports would also be in jeopardy. This is money we simply can’t afford to lose.”
The school board is recommending a referendum rate of 19 cents per $100 of assessed property value, which is three cents more than the current rate. The district expects the tax rate to remain at the current rate of 83 cents, however, as it plans to retire some of its debt.
More information about the replacement referendum, including more specific statistics about potential job and programming cuts, may be found on the district website, ccs.k12.in.us, under the “Referendum” tab.
This story will be updated.
