Indianapolis leaders discuss school funding INDIANAPOLIS —  Indianapolis voters will decide in November whether to approve a property tax increase to support teacher pay and student services, but school officials warn that budget cuts will happen regardless of the outcome. Indianapolis Publ ic Schools leaders say the district faces a deficit even if voters approve the measure. Leaders from education, faith, and civic groups discussed these priorities recently at the Jewel Center Tuesday. The event, hosted for the fifth year by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Indianapolis (IMA), focused on keeping teachers in classrooms and maintaining student services. “We see that as just an investment in our children,” IMA president Lionel Rush said. “Our children are the email we will send to a future that some of us will never see. We have to make sure that email has impact.” The funding question on the ballot—often called an operating referendum—would raise property taxes to fund staff pay and student services. IPS estimates the owner of a $150,000 home would pay about $115 more a year, or roughly $9 a month. IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson clarified that the request is not a massive jump over current rates. “Our community is supporting the current referendum, the 2018 referendum,” Johnson said. “So it’s not an additional $221 on top of what you’re already paying; it’s actually an additional $9 a month.” Mayor Joe Hogsett voiced his support for the proposal during the gathering. “Investing in our students, in our teachers, and in our classrooms is essential to the well-being of this city we call home,” Hogsett said. Even with voter approval, the district’s financial challenges remain. IPS has already cut $24 million from its annual budget and projects another $20 million in annual cuts if the measure passes. If voters reject the increase, IPS officials say annual cuts could reach $45 million. “We could expect to see a very significant reduction in teachers and staffing across our schools along with more significant potential closures of schools,” Johnson said. “It is not a pretty picture.” The conversation also highlighted the need to support young people outside the classroom. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears argued that community investment is a better alternative to incarceration. “If our only solution for young people is to put them in jail, then that’s not an investment,” Mears said. He added that the community must send a message to young people that it is willing to invest in their opportunities. Voters living within IPS boundaries will decided the school funding question on the November ballot. ...read more read less