Copyright Chicago Tribune
Voters will determine the outcomes of two special elections in Lake County on Tuesday, but there are no candidates on the ballot. At stake are two school property tax measures in neighboring Lake Central School Corp. and the Hanover Central Community Schools. The Duneland School Corp., based in Chesterton, is also holding a referendum vote. Hanover and Lake Central districts are asking voters to renew operating referendums they say will continue to fund student transportation, teacher and non-certified salaries, utility costs, safety and student programs. Political action committees, or PACs, have formed to support both school districts as they seek renewals of previous successful referendums. Lake Central’s 2018 referendum passed with 53% of the vote. This time, the district increased the rate to 26.14 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from 17 cents. Officials said the property tax relief credits and deductions homeowners will see under a new property tax relief law — Senate Enrolled Act 1 — will offset the referendum tax increase. The school district’s boundaries for voting includes parts of Dyer, St. John, Schererville and unincorporated sections of Lake County. The property tax relief law is expected to cut about $12.3 million in revenue from Lake Central over a three-year span through 2028, according to the state Legislative Services Agency. The district has retained Policy Analytics to do a deeper dive into its revenue picture. The new law also specified that districts can only run referendums during general statewide elections, as opposed to a primary or general election. If approved, Lake Central’s referendum would raise nearly $17.8 million annually. Officials said $12 million would be earmarked for retaining teachers and staff. Also, the spending plan includes $2 million for maintaining class sizes, $1.7 million for student health and safety programs. Lauren Bridgeman, a member of Friends of Lake Central’s political action committee, said supporters have been knocking on doors making sure voters understand what’s at stake. She’s been teaching math and science for 10 years at Clark Middle School. “Typically, we’ve had a lot of great feedback from the community,” she said. She said committee members tell voters with revenue from the last referendum, the district added three police officers in schools, counselors, nurses, reading specialists, and math coaches at all levels. The money from the referendum will be used to maintain the spending plan in place, she said. Lake Central has about 9,200 students. Bridgeman said more than 2,000 people have already voted. She said there’s been confusion with the online calculator that estimates a homeowner’s referendum cost on the state Department of Local Government’s website. She said the DLGF calculator was misleading because it led people to believe their taxes would increase dramatically. “We have a calculator on our website, and even with the referendum approved, their taxes will go down,” she said. That’s largely because of the new property tax law. Friends of Lake Central’s website is supportlakecentral.com. Bridgeman said referendum backers also educate voters on the impact of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reduces money the district will receive over the next three years and gives it back to taxpayers. If the referendum fails, officials said they’ll have to make difficult decisions about budget cuts that impact students like larger class sizes, fewer teachers and a reduction in course offerings and extracurricular activities. Meanwhile, the Hanover Community School Corp., in Cedar Lake, is seeking its third referendum renewal to raise slightly more than $5 million each year. It passed with 60% of the vote in 2020. The property tax levy would remain at 29 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Information about the referendum is on the district’s website, hanover.k12.in.us/referendum. About $2.5 million in referendum funds would be spent on keeping class sizes small; $1.5 million for bus transportation and $759,000 for school resource officers. “I am cautiously optimistic, we have a lot of supportive parents and we’ve done a lot of work,” said Superintendent Mary Tracy-MacAulay. She said the revenue for bus transportation was crucial because of the community’s explosive subdivision growth. The small district of about 2,800 students gained 730 students, or a 33% increase, since 2015. Tracy-MacAulay said the district had to institute a one-mile walk zone two years ago. “This area is just booming,” she said. The boom has been slowed by a town water moratorium, but Tracy-MacAulay expects once it’s resolved that more homes will be built. “We’re holding the line but with SEA 1, we’ll lose about $6.1 million over the next three years,” she said of the property tax relief law. She said the referendum funds about 125 staff jobs and allowed for an increase in student programs. Andy Yakubik, who heads the Friends of Hanover Community Schools political action committee, said voter turnout is key. “A lot of people aren’t aware it’s on the ballot and the new state wording is very misleading, pointing to the ballot’s 43% increase wording. “It’s frustrating, nobody knows how the state came up with the 43% figure. The state would not show us their work. “They’re trying to undercut the ability of districts to have referendums. Now, they’re only in statewide elections.” He said SEA 1 also left a 5% decrease in Hanover’s budget and if the referendum doesn’t pass, it will mean an 11% cut. “There comes a point there’s nothing you can cut that isn’t necessary,” he said. Yakubik said his family moved to the Cedar Lake area about 30 years ago because he and his wife wanted smaller schools for their children. “The amount of cutbacks if they lose would be painful. It would really hit bus service, bus costs have nearly doubled,” he said. Early voting in both special elections is open until noon on Monday at the Lake County Board of Elections Early and Registration office, 2293 N. Main St., in Crown Point; the St. John Township Assessor’s office, 9157 Wicker Ave.; and the Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet St. Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
