Question 1

What is an operating referendum?

Accepted Answer

An operating referendum allows local voters to approve additional funding for the day-to-day costs of running their schools. For Crown Point, referendum funding supports things students and families see every day including teachers and staff, manageable class sizes, student transportation, health and safety, and academic and support programs. It is different from funding used for construction and major building projects, which by law cannot be spent on anything else in a school's budget.

Question 2

Didn't we just vote on a referendum in 2025?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Voters approved an operating referendum in May 2025. But the rate for that referendum was established before the Indiana General Assembly enacted SEA 1. The  changes to Indiana's property tax system reduced the revenue CPCSC can expect to receive. The 2026 referendum is intended to address the losses from that funding change.

Question 3

What would the referendum fund?

Accepted Answer

CPCSC is not asking to fund new positions or programs. It's about maintaining what the district currently has. If passed, the referendum would support four major areas: Essential health and safety initiatives . This includes nurses in every building and four school resource officers. It also supports safety software that our schools rely on for student safety.Teachers, staff and maintaining class sizes. 70 positions are support by the referendum, including teachers who help maintain class sizes. Student transportation. More than 7,600 students live outside the walk zone of their school. Transportation is also for field trips, extracurriculars, and academic programs. Academic and support programs. Teacher stipends for academic extracurriculars. 
These are operating expenses associated with providing services and opportunities to students. The referendum is not used for construction or capital purchases.

Question 4

What is SEA 1?

Accepted Answer

SEA 1 (Senate Enrolled Act 1) is an Indiana property tax law passed in 2025. It made several changes intended to provide property tax relief, including new and expanded deductions and credits. Those changes also reduce the taxable property value available to fund local services, including schools.  For Crown Point Schools, that means less property tax revenue than was anticipated when voters approved the district's operating referendum in 2025. Unfortunately, CPCSC had to provide their approved rate for the 2025 referendum in December of 2024, before SEA 1 was passed.

Question 5

Why does property tax relief reduce funding for Crown Point Schools?

Accepted Answer

Crown Point receives part of its funding from local property taxes. When changes in state law reduce the taxable value of property or provide additional tax credits, less property tax revenue may be collected. For CPCSC, those changes affect the Operations Fund, which helps pay for expenses such as transportation, utilities, maintenance and other operating costs.

Question 6

Has Crown Point already made budget cuts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Crown Point Schools made $7.3 million in budget reductions in 2026.  Those reductions included administrative and central-office positions, support positions, operational changes, and reductions involving curriculum and software resources. The district was able to preserve certified classroom teaching positions and current student programming through those reductions. Without the support of the referendum, additional cuts will need to be made.

Question 7

Why is transportation such an important part of the referendum?

Accepted Answer

The referendum spending plan includes $6 million for student transportation. Transportation is a major part of Crown Point's daily operation. More than 7,600 students, about 80% of Crown Point students, live outside the walk zone for their school. The transportation system operates more than 80 buses and travels more than one million miles each year. Valuable academic programs rely on transportation to help students have valuable learning experiences.

Question 8

How does SEA 1 change my property tax bill?

Accepted Answer

SEA 1 changes both how much of your property's value may be subject to taxation and the credits that may reduce your final tax bill. The exact impact is different for every property. Your home's assessed value, deductions, tax district, applicable tax rates and credits all affect what you ultimately pay. That is why a change that reduces revenue for Crown Point Schools does not necessarily mean an individual homeowner's total property tax bill increases by the same amount. Visit our tax calculator to find the actual impact to your home.

Question 9

Does SEA 1 lower the value of my home?

Accepted Answer

No. SEA 1 does not reduce your home's market value or gross assessed value. Instead, deductions can reduce the portion of that assessed value that is subject to property taxes, while credits can reduce the amount of tax ultimately owed.

Question 10

How are my property taxes calculated?

Accepted Answer

Think about your property tax bill in four basic steps: Assessed Value → Deductions → Tax Rates → Credits Your property begins with an assessed value. Eligible deductions reduce the amount subject to taxation. Tax rates are then applied to that taxable value. Finally, eligible credits can reduce the amount you actually owe. SEA 1 changed portions of this calculation, which is why it can simultaneously provide property tax relief to homeowners and reduce revenue available to schools and other local units.

Question 11

What happens to the referendum we approved in 2025?

Accepted Answer

If the 2026 referendum is approved, it replaces the 2025 operating referendum. The two referendum rates would not be added together. The existing referendum is currently collected at $0.1828 per $100 of assessed value. The 2026 referendum authorizes a rate of up to $0.3870 per $100 of assessed value for no more than eight years.The new rate was determined by estimates of the amount of funding CPCSC will lose at the height of SEA 1 reductions. CPCSC is not asking to fund new positions or programs. It's about maintaining what the district currently has.

Question 12

Is this a new tax?

Accepted Answer

There is already an operating referendum included in Crown Point property tax bills. The 2026 proposal would replace that existing referendum at a higher maximum rate rather than adding a second operating referendum on top of it. That distinction matters when looking at the overall tax impact: homeowners are already paying the existing referendum rate.  The difference between the old and new, plus the upcoming reduced net assessed value on tax bills, means many homeowners will see little impact on their overall tax bill in 2027. In 2028, most homeowners will see overall reductions, even with an updated referendum rate.

Question 13

Why can't money for new schools and construction be used for these expenses?

Accepted Answer

Indiana law separates money borrowed or collected for capital projects from money used for day-to-day operating expenses. Funding designated for construction and debt cannot simply be transferred to pay teacher salaries, transportation, curriculum or other ongoing operating costs. Some people mistakenly believe money for facilities could be used for staff or student programs. The school funding system prevents that.

Question 14

Crown Point is growing. Doesn't new development generate enough additional tax revenue?

Accepted Answer

Growth helps, but it doesn't eliminate the effect of SEA 1.  SEA 1 changes deductions and credits that affect the net assessed value on which property taxes are collected. Despite new homes in the area, CPCSC's overall student enrollment count is fairly flat. Stagnant enrollment with below inflation and below average funding per pupil, alongside losses from SEA 1 in operations, create losses for CPCSC.

Question 15

How does the referendum support teachers and class sizes?

Accepted Answer

Teachers and staff make up the largest part of the cost of educating students. Of the district's three main funds (education, operations, referendum), 86% is spent on staff salaries and benefits.The referendum specifically includes funding to support and retain teachers and staff and maintain class sizes.

Question 16

Why not just cut administration?

Accepted Answer

Administrative and central-office positions were  included in the district's $7.3 million in 2026 budget reductions. Most of the money spent from the district's Education, Operations, and Referendum funds goes to people. 86% of those expenditures are wages and benefits, while district administrators account for less than 3% of personnel spending. A multimillion-dollar ongoing funding problem can't be solved through administrative reductions alone.

Question 17

How much would the referendum cost me?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your property. It's important to use a Tax Calculator to determine your property bill with the referendum rate AND the upcoming reductions to your net assessed value.The ballot is required to use the price of median home and states that the property's annual tax bill would increase at the referendum's maximum parameters. That does not mean every Crown Point homeowner will pay an an increase.Actual impact depends on your home's assessed value, deductions, credits, tax district and other factors. It also matters that Crown Point homeowners are already paying the existing referendum rate of $0.1828. Remember, the 2026 referendum replaces the 18 cents - it's not on top of the 18 cents.

Question 18

What will I see on the ballot?

Accepted Answer

The ballot asks voters whether Crown Point Community Schools may replace its existing operating referendum with an eight-year referendum to support educational and operational funding stability, health and safety, teachers and staff, class sizes, student transportation, and academic and support programs. It lists the maximum rate the district could collect to replace the funding losses.

Question 19

Why does the ballot use a $350,000 home?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's referendum process requires a standardized calculation using the median assessed value certified for the school corporation. The certified median home in the district is $317,700. The law requires that to be rounded up to the next $50,000. For this referendum, that certified median residence listed on the ballot is $350,000. It is a statutory number used to create the ballot's tax-impact statement; it does not mean every home in Crown Point is worth $350,000.

Question 20

How long would the referendum last?

Accepted Answer

The referendum may be collected for no more than eight years. If approved in November 2026, it would replace the operating referendum approved in 2025.

Question 21

What happens if the referendum is not approved?

Accepted Answer

Without the replacement referendum, the district would have to address the funding gap through its available revenues and more staff reductions. The district already cut $7.3 million in 2026 without a reduction-in-force (RIF) of classroom teachers or student programming. Additional cuts will affect staff positions and student opportunities.

Question 22

How is CPCSC already "doing more with less"?

Accepted Answer

In per pupil funding from the state, CPCSC ranks in the bottom 7% of school districts. The district also receives nearly 43% less per pupil in its operations fund. And yet, CPCSC still provides amazing results for its students and community. It already does more with less.In 2009 when the state cut per pupil money in the education fund, CPCSC ran one of the first referendums in the state in 2011. The community voted to pass the referendum and keep education standards and opportunities high. Because per pupil funding has not kept pace with inflation, the referendum was passed again in 2018 and 2025.Now, the state has made significant cuts to property tax revenue in the operations fund. CPCSC isn't asking for money to increase programs or for more staff. The replacement referendum simply seeks to replace the funding lost from upcoming property tax changes.

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