Superintendent urges voters to replace Beach Grove operating referendum, warns of $4M in cuts if it fails

Beach Grove Superintendent Laura Hammock presented a slide-driven explanation of the district's finances and said the board will ask voters in November 2026 to approve a replacement operating referendum that maintains existing services.

Hammock, who opened the presentation by saying it was rooted in "transparency, accountability, and honesty," told the board that local property tax caps and changes from Senate Enrolled Act One (SEA1) have left Beach Grove's operations fund with "almost no meaningful revenue from local property taxes." She said that reality makes referendum support "essential" for continuing transportation, facilities maintenance, custodial services, utilities and student safety systems, including school resource officers.

"This referendum is not an additional referendum," Hammock said, arguing the proposal replaces the district's 2020 operating referendum and is intended to "continue existing services." She added that SEA1 reduces assessed-valuation growth and restricts referendum timing to even-year general elections, making long-term planning more critical.

Hammock walked board members through the math she said matters most: "You take your assessed valuation divided by 100 and you multiply it by the tax rate and that determines the levy." She said slower assessed-valuation growth under SEA1 directly suppresses local levy revenue even if tax rates remain stable.

On projected impact, Hammock said the district is proposing a 57-cent rate and presented a median-homestead scenario using a $185,700 value. She told the board that draft ballot language that mentions a $492 annual figure can be misleading without context and that, depending on assessed valuation, the median household could see a variable change that in some years is slightly higher or in others shows a modest savings compared with the current referendum.

Hammock warned of consequences if the referendum fails: "If the referendum fails, Beach Grove City Schools would face approximately $4 million in annual reductions beginning Jan. 1, 2029," she said, adding that "there is no possible way to absorb reductions of that magnitude through efficiencies alone." She listed likely impacts as reduced transportation services, fewer student supports and staffing reductions that would affect safety and academic programming.

Board members asked technical questions about tax-increment financing (TIF) and the Redevelopment Commission's reports; Hammock said she attends RDC meetings and that recent RDC reports showed roughly "over $300,000" in annual TIF revenue affecting the district's calculations. Dr. Amit answered a question about the $4.4 million cap on assessed referendum revenue, explaining the cap comes from Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) requirements.

Hammock said the district has pursued cost reductions and revenue innovations for five years (including eliminating district administration positions and pursuing alternative revenue) and that the June board meeting will include a request to formally set the referendum rate that would appear on the November ballot. She urged community engagement and offered to meet with residents to explain the proposal in detail.

Next steps: The board expects to consider a resolution in June to place the replacement operating referendum on the November 2026 ballot and will continue community outreach and transparency efforts in advance of that decision.