The Monroe County Community School Corporation referendum passed with approximately 66% of votes in favor as of 9 p.m. Tuesday.
The school corporation announced the referendum passed on its Facebook page just after 9 p.m. Tuesday.
According to the Indiana Daily Students Live Election Update dashboard, 17,541 votes in favor of and 8,752 against the referendum had been counted at the time the school corporation announced the referendum’s passing.
MCCSC teachers will receive a $4,500 raise as a result of the referendum, according to the MCCSC referendum webpage. Additionally, since 87% of referendum dollars are slated to go toward paying educators, MCCSC support staff such as instructional aides and paraprofessionals will see a $2.25 per hour wage increase.
The remaining 13%, totaling $1.2 million per year, will fund educational services such as special education services, performing arts programs and STEM programs.
The funding will come from property taxes. Monroe County residents will now contribute 18.5 cents to MCCSC schools for every $100 of assessed property value. According to the MCCSC referendum webpage, this rate would mean the average Monroe County household would pay an additional $125 in property taxes each year, or approximately $10.40 per month.
The stakes were high for MCCSC. If the referendum had failed, MCCSC said its cash balance would have dropped below zero within two years.
According to the MCCSC referendum webpage, over 100 positions would have been eliminated, and the remaining staff would experience stagnant pay. The rejection would have also impacted students with reductions in funding to educational programs such as the performing arts, as well as increased class sizes due to layoffs.
