Indiana School Board Approves School Safety Referendum

Indiana School Board Approves School Safety Referendum

Carmel Clay School Board approved a school safety referendum on Wednesday, which would increase taxes by 5 cents per $100 of assessed value. The extra revenue would go toward more security resource officers, social works, and mental health programs.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • July 12, 2019

The Carmel Clay School Board will send a first-ever referendum for school safety funding to the November ballot.

The referendum would increase taxes by 5 cents per $100 of assessed value, which would amount to about $65 per year for a home with an assessed value of $250,000 and $146 for a home with an assessed value of $500,000.

The extra revenue would generate about $5 million per year over the eight-year referendum, according to Carmel Clay School officials.

Superintendent Michael Beresford said that due to the increase in school violence across the nation, increased school security is a must.

“The days where school safety was on the back burner are over,” Beresford said. “The last decade has been frightening. I do think we just have to keep adding layer upon layer upon layer in order to keep our kids safe.”

Carmel Clay Schools would be able to add 11 more school resource officers in addition to the seven they currently have, add more social workers in schools, and would consider implemented programs addressing mental illness for both students and staff, if the referendum were approved.

“Our job now is to get out accurate information to all of our community so they can make an informed decision,” Beresford said. “If we have students who are struggling and are in need of support now, we need to act now, to get them the help they need.”

In the last decade, Carmel residents have voted on two school funding referenda and both of them have passed. Now, the referendum must be approved by the Department of Local Finance, and if it is, it will be added to the November ballot.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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