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Vigo County Schools told state policy shifts, lost textbook grant and tax changes will squeeze district budgets
Summary
Presenters told Vigo County Schools that removal of a $155 per‑student textbook grant and provisions in Senate Enrolled Act 1 (lowered referendum thresholds, expanding deductions, homestead credits) will reduce taxable revenue and force districts to weigh referendums or spending cuts.
Vigo County Schools officials were briefed on a suite of state policy changes and financial pressures that presenters said will shrink local school revenue and increase pressure on operating budgets.
Chad Blacklock, a public‑finance banker with Stifel, told the board the district’s two main revenue streams — state tuition support and property tax — face growing constraints from enrollment declines and recent legislation. “Every kid in the state of Indiana that attended a public school, they were worth $5,995” in FY22, Blacklock said, summarizing how per‑pupil foundation funding has changed over recent years and the mechanics of the state Tuition Support Formula.
Blacklock and Superintendent Dr. Himsell identified several changes that together reduce district flexibility. A temporary textbook grant that provided about $155 per student in 2023–24 was removed in 2025, leaving districts to pay those costs from education‑fund dollars, a shift Blacklock…
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