First, let's be clear. SEA-1 IS the problem. SEA-1 cuts funding for cities, towns and schools. The legislature in Indianapolis, the Republican supermajority, made this decision. We all knew this was coming when Governor Braun was elected. He ran on a promise of lowering taxes, limiting annual property tax increases to 2-3% and reset homeowner bills to pre-pandemic levels. He also stated he wanted reduce current property taxes for owners. Educationally, he ran on expanding school voucher programs and school choice option. Not all of his educational campaign points were anti-public education. However -- make NO MISTAKE -- he and the legislature KNEW what they were doing when they cut property taxes -- and kicked the can down to the locals to find ways to restore "full funding" (well, funding like normal).
I talked to administrative members from a couple of schools in the area. One school said that they were proactive in 2025-26 to combat the lack of funding. They invoked a "Sustainability Task Force" involving all departments and found ways to rather significantly reduce spending. That person said for now, they are financially stable, but didn't rule out the possibility of proposing a referendum for their corporation in 2028.
A second school that I spoke with simply said that their corporations population is too economically depressed to ever support a referendum. There is zero industry in that corporation. All property taxes come from landowners. This person said they are extremely concerned about the state of their corporation moving forward.
I am not a future teller, however I suspect that unless the state fixes the problem that they created (and they SHOULD fix the problem that they created), you will see more to many more schools proposing referendums in 2028.