Board hears operating referendum briefing as Senate Enrolled Act 1 shrinks operations revenue

Northwest Allen County Schools officials on Monday briefed the Board of School Trustees on how recent state legislation will reduce local operating revenue and why the district is preparing an operating referendum for the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot.

Superintendent Barker and district finance staff detailed modeling prepared by Policy Analytics showing that Senate Enrolled Act 1 will lower net assessed value for the district, driving up tax rates while reducing available operations dollars and increasing the district’s exposure to circuit-breaker caps.

The board was shown draft referendum scenarios meant to restore lost capacity and cover proposed investments. District staff said they are planning referendum asks in the $10 million to $12 million range. In the district’s modeling, a $10 million annual levy would require roughly a 22-cent operating levy rate; a $12 million ask would be about 26 cents. Officials warned that net assessed-value changes built into the new law mean a $10 million approval could buy less over the eight-year life of a referendum and that a higher initial ask may be required to preserve buying power over time.

Why it matters: district staff said the operations fund pays for utilities, custodial services, transportation, insurance and other day-to-day building costs. Losses to the operations fund would force transfers from the education fund, cuts to…