Beech Grove board votes to place 57¢ operating referendum on Nov. 3 ballot

The Beech Grove City Schools board voted to approve a resolution placing an operating referendum question before voters on Nov. 3, 2026, Superintendent Stewart said during the presentation to the board.

Stewart, speaking as superintendent, said the referendum responds to “significant financial challenges resulting from changes in state property tax law, ongoing circuit breaker impacts, and revenue limitations” and recommended the board authorize the question to allow residents to decide whether to continue essential services through voter-approved operating revenue.

If approved by voters, the referendum would authorize a maximum property tax rate of 57 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, generating no more than $4.4 million annually for a period of up to eight years beginning in 2027 and continuing through 2034, Stewart said. He said the owner of a home with a $200,000 assessed value would pay about $1.04 per month (about $12.48 in the first year) in addition to current taxes, based on the district’s projections.

Stewart also explained that state law prescribes ballot-language methodology and requires using a rounded median residence value for the example on the ballot. As a result, the statutorily required ballot language shows an illustrative increase of approximately $493 per year for a $200,000 median residence; Stewart clarified on the record that the $493 figure is the statutorily prescribed illustration and is not an additional charge on top of current taxes.

The superintendent noted that referendum revenue would support transportation, facilities maintenance, and student safety and security services including school resource officers, and that eligible charter schools that choose to participate will receive distributions as required by Indiana law.

Board members moved and seconded the referendum tax levy resolution; the motion passed on an on-the-record voice vote with all members saying “Aye” and no opposition recorded.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the referendum tax levy resolution to place the operating referendum on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. The record shows a motion, a second, and unanimous on-the-record “Aye.” The formal ballot amount and exact homeowner impact for individual properties will depend on final assessed valuations and statutory calculations at the time of implementation.

The board’s approval only places the question before voters; it does not itself change tax rates. The district said the referendum would be part of the district’s “Believe in Our Future” initiative and that adoption by voters would enable continuation of services the administration described as critical to daily operations. The board did not adopt program-level spending details at the meeting; any final allocation of referendum proceeds would follow additional administrative planning and public reporting.