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Teachers’ union and ISBA warn state legislation could cut MCCSC revenue; board urges action
Summary
Monroe County Education Association president Jenny Noble Couture and the board’s ISBA liaison said bills at the Indiana Statehouse could reduce school funding or redirect local taxes to charter and private institutions, and trustees urged residents to contact legislators.
Jenny Noble Couture, president of the Monroe County Education Association, addressed the board on Feb. 25 about pending state legislation that she said threatens equitable teacher pay and school funding. Board member Bharani then provided the ISBA legislative update and urged community members to contact state lawmakers.
Couture referenced House Bill 1500 (HB 1500), which she said would change the teacher appreciation grant program and make awards more selective, potentially creating stipend differences of “$10,000” between teacher roles. She also raised concern about Senate Bill 518 (SB 518), noting its effects are delayed until 2028 but saying the bill would force public schools to “divert local tax dollars” to charter schools. Couture said that, in recent years, roughly $17,800,000 of Monroe County taxpayer dollars has been diverted outside the district to private schools via choice scholarships, a figure she presented to illustrate fiscal stress.
Board member Bharani, the district’s Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA) legislative liaison, summarized the current statehouse landscape. Bharani said SB1 and HB1001 (state budget bills) are “crucial” and warned that one property‑tax reform proposal could reduce MCCSC revenue by $8,000,000 to $32,000,000 starting in 2026. He described potential reductions in the House Republican budget proposal as likely to yield only about a 1.3% increase to school budgets — below inflation — and criticized moving a $160,000,000 appropriation for curriculum materials into the foundation formula rather than keeping it as a separate, visible line item.
Bharani and other trustees urged community members to contact state legislators. The board discussed practical ways to engage, including the 5calls app and email/phone contacts; trustees emphasized that timely constituent contact can sway votes during the session, which the board noted runs through April 29.
Why it matters: Proposed legislation affecting property tax, charter funding and the state budget could materially change district revenues, affecting staffing, programs and local referenda. Trustees and the MCEA asked the public to participate in the legislative process by contacting representatives.
