The Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) Board of School Trustees votes to place an operating referendum on the November 8 ballot worth up to 18.5 cents per $100 of net assessed property value that, if approved, would generate $15.5 million each year for eight years. If the referendum passes, teachers stand to make an additional $4,500 per year and staff wages will increase $2.25 per hour. “We know that based upon the shortages of staff we’ve experienced in the past couple years, now more than ever, we need this,” MCCSC Superintendent Jeff Hauswald tells Indiana Public Media. “We know this may be a cost, but it’s also an investment.” The average homeowner with a net assessed property value of $135,000 would doll out approximately $127 in additional taxes each year under the referendum, which will be the school district’s third since 2010 to go before voters. “If denied, the district will lose $7.3 million in operating expenses and Hauswald said it will be forced to lay off more than 100 employees,” Indiana Public Media reports. The board, during the same meeting, also approved increased meal prices for the upcoming school year, in accordance with U.S.D.A. regulations.
