Lake Central superintendent urges Schererville voters to back Nov. 4 referendum to sustain school funding

Larry Varaco, superintendent of Lake Central School Corporation, briefed the Schererville Town Council on Oct. 8 on a Nov. 4 referendum the district says is needed to sustain current programs and staffing.

Varaco told the council that state changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 altered the tax formula so the district must ask for a maximum levy of 26.14¢ per $100 of assessed value to bring in roughly the same revenue the prior 17¢ levy produced. "The 26 is the new 17," Varaco said, adding that the increase is not intended to add programs or produce a windfall but to preserve existing services.

He reviewed academic and operational context: Lake Central’s reported gains on standardized tests and expanded course offerings, the district’s use of referendum revenue (about $11,000,000 currently), and how the altered formula and supplemental homestead credit create pressure on net assessed value and revenue. Varaco cited an outside parcel-level analysis projecting a roughly $5.5 million annual loss tied to the formula change (policy analytics, firm cited by Varaco). He said the referendum question is structured to sustain service levels for eight years if approved.

When asked what would happen if the referendum failed, Varaco said the district would need to cut roughly $11 million from the budget, pointing to positions and services added since 2018 — including additional school resource officers, counselors and some instructional staff — that the referendum currently helps fund. "If this doesn't pass, we're going to have to cut services and staff we've added to improve outcomes," he said.

Council members who spoke publicly at the meeting expressed support for the district’s position and said they would encourage constituents to vote. Varaco also said early voting had started and that he and his staff are distributing informational materials and meeting with local groups ahead of the Nov. 4 election.

What was said and what it means: Varaco framed the ask as a revenue-maintenance measure tied to changes in state law; he repeatedly characterized the levy as intended to hold the district to current service levels rather than expand spending. The superintendent’s presentation and the council’s comments do not constitute a municipal endorsement of the referendum; they reflect an invitation to voters to consider the district’s explanation before the Nov. 4 vote.

Next steps: Early voting is underway and the referendum will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. Varaco offered to provide handouts and detailed worksheets to council members and residents seeking more information.