Northwest Allen County Schools officials presented details of an operating referendum that would impose a property tax rate not to exceed 0.2787 and a maximum annual levy of $12,156,914 to fund a new career and technical education (CTE) facility, employee pay increases and additional district staff if voters approve the measure on Nov. 4.

The referendum question as read at the meeting was, “Shall Northwest Allen County Schools increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than 8 years for the purpose of funding educational instruction and staffing at a career and technical education facility, retention and attraction of teachers, support staff and administrators, school safety and well-being staffing and initiatives, instructional support staffing at all buildings, and district wide staffing by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed 0.2787.” Superintendent Barker read the ballot language and said that the measure would result in a maximum annual amount not to exceed $12,156,914 and that the district estimates a median $350,000 home’s annual tax bill would increase by $505 if the referendum is fully levied.

Why it matters: District leaders said the referendum would fund programs and personnel they say are needed to maintain the district’s current level of services and expand career-technical offerings. The board and administration framed the proposal as tied to the district strategic plan and community feedback gathered in 2022–23, and said passage would be required before the planned Carroll High School CTE building could open.

Key allocations and plans
- $5,100,000 allocated for recruitment and retention (salary increases across employee groups). The superintendent said a tentative agreement with teachers would provide a $3,000 increase and raise the minimum teacher salary to $50,000; the administration said every employee group would receive raises but amounts may vary by group.
- $2,700,000 for instructional support to add staff such as eight elementary STEM teachers, four high-ability teachers, two English-language-learner teachers and additional instructional assistants and literacy support.
- $2,200,000 to cover operating costs for the new CTE facility, including 15 CTE teachers, four instructional assistants, a guidance counselor, a work-based learning counselor, a director, a treasurer and custodial staff; district leaders said the CTE project cannot proceed without referendum funds.
- $1,300,000 for safety and well-being staff, including four additional school resource officers (bringing the district from four to eight SROs), one safety specialist, three social workers and increased nursing hours; the administration said a standard is roughly one SRO per 1,000 students and noted the district currently has four SROs for roughly 8,300 students.
- $870,000 for district staffing including administrative assistants, a grants coordinator, a director of facilities and added maintenance staff.

Officials emphasized that the district will not immediately borrow the referendum’s full authorized amount: Superintendent Barker said the district intends to draw up to $10 million in the first year because the CTE building is not expected to open until 2027, reducing the first-year tax impact compared with the full levy shown on the public calculator.

Tax-impact explanation and calculator
District staff walked through the property-tax calculator example they posted online using a $350,000 median home in Perry Township. The superintendent explained that recent state action (Senate Enrolled Act 1) will reduce many taxpayers’ base bills next year and that the net effect for the example household would combine the SEA 1 deduction with the referendum levy. Using the district’s example, the superintendent said the net first-year effect on the annual bill for that property would be $151.73 after accounting for the expected SEA 1 reduction; he also said households that include property taxes in monthly mortgage payments would see about a $12.64 monthly increase in the example.

Public comments and community concerns
Multiple residents spoke in support of the referendum during the public comment period, citing teacher and staff pay, safety, and the proposed CTE building. Perondi Lemming told the board the CTE building “will provide labs, equipment, classrooms, giving students real world learning opportunities” and framed the referendum as “an investment in our future.” Teachers and staff supporters, including Jim Walker (a 19-year district teacher) and Mark Bloom (a resident whose wife works for NACS), urged passage to retain staff and pay living wages.

Several public commenters raised broader fiscal concerns and alternatives during public comment. Kent Summers urged the district and the community to pursue state-level remedies (changes to the maximum levy growth quotient and capturing revenue lost to tax-increment financing districts) before turning to taxpayers and said the district foregoes significant revenue from tax-exempt property and TIF districts.

What the board decided and next steps
The presentation did not include a board vote to place the question on the ballot during this meeting; administrators described the ballot language and encouraged voters to use the district’s QR-coded materials and property-tax calculator to learn more. Superintendent Barker and board members encouraged voters to ask questions about the facts and to vote according to their values. The superintendent said resident outreach about traffic impacts of the planned CTE facility (a separate traffic study) and neighborhood meetings along Baird Road would follow.

Ending note: The referendum is set for the Nov. 4 ballot and, if approved, would run for no more than eight years. District officials repeatedly tied the petition to their strategic plan and to specific staffing and program expansions that they said depend on passage.