M.S.D. of Wayne Township
District Subtitle
Referendum
2026 Operating Referendum
School finance might not be top of mind for most people. But on November 3, 2026, voters across Wayne Township will answer a ballot question that will shape our schools and community for years to come.
Why We Need a Referendum — and Why We've Needed One Since 2014
Indiana's property tax caps — the "circuit breaker" — erase millions from Wayne Township's operations fund every single year. Indiana law caps how much any property owner can pay in property taxes: 1% of a home's assessed value for homeowners, 2% for rental and farm property, and 3% for business property. These caps — known as the "circuit breaker" — are written into the state constitution to protect taxpayers. When a property hits its tax cap, schools and local services never collect it.
The circuit breaker hits Wayne Township harder than almost anywhere in the state. Before you get to the ballot, we want you to understand why.
Circuit Breaker Impact in 2025
In 2025, we were certified to collect $25.4 million for operations. We only received $4.1 million because of property tax caps.
Dollars certified for Wayne's operations but never collected — $17.7 million in 2014 alone, growing to $21.3 million in 2025. More than $184 million over twelve years.
The Result: After the circuit breaker, Wayne received $280 per student in 2025 to fund all daily operations. The state average is $1,923. Out of Indiana's 290 school districts, we rank 289th.
What Is $280 per Student Supposed to Cover?
Everything that makes school possible before the bell rings: transportation, student safety and school police, custodians and maintenance, utilities, technology, and property insurance.
We Only Ask for What We Need. We've Proven It.
- We let the 2015 referendum expire to keep our promise: We will only ask our community for what we need. At one point, Wayne Township had two voter-approved referendums of $0.35 each — $0.70 combined. When the 2015 referendum reached the end of its term, we didn't ask voters to renew it. We only kept the 2019 referendum, at $0.35, which remains in place today and expires in 2027.
- We've reduced costs across the district. We eliminated 108 positions — starting at the top, with 6% of administrative roles — along with no employee raises for 2025-26, renegotiated vendor contracts, reduced overtime, energy-saving measures, black-and-white printing, extended use of curricular materials, and more.
We can't responsibly cut further without impacting the programs and services students count on. That's why we're asking our community to consider the referendum.
Want to understand the bigger financial picture? Visit our Finance page for a full breakdown of how Indiana school funding works, the impact of SEA 1, and the budget context behind this referendum.
For years, Wayne Township has operated with one of the lowest per-student operation fund tax levies in the state, even as costs rise and state funding pressures continue to squeeze school budgets. Our School Board's response: a referendum asking voters to fund teacher recruitment and retention, school safety and security, and daily educational operations for up to eight years.
8 years
Maximum Duration
+ $199 PER YEAR
Projected 2027 impact for $200K residence, an annual net increase of $199.20 from 2026.
+$16.60 PER MONTH
Projected 2027 monthly increase for $200K residence
Nov. 3
Election Day, 2026
Proposed Ballot Question
Here is the proposed question Wayne Township voters will see on the November 3, 2026 ballot:
"Shall the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township increase property taxes paid to the school district for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of funding the Wayne Forward Initiative to sustain educational and operational stability in response to reductions in property tax revenue, including recruiting and retaining classroom teachers, funding student safety and school security, and maintaining daily educational operations by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed $0.70 and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed $41,019,552. If this operating referendum public question is approved by the voters, for a median residence of $200,000, the property's annual property tax bill would increase by $605 per year. The most recent operating referendum public question proposed by the school district was held in 2019 and passed."
The Ballot Question Explained: Let's Clear Up the Confusion
The ballot language is unclear on two key points: This measure replaces the existing 2019 referendum, and we're only asking for what we need.
First: This replaces the 2019 referendum. It does not stack on top of it.
Wayne Township property owners already pay a $0.35 referendum rate — the 2019 referendum, which expires in 2027. This measure replaces it. That means your real change isn't the full new rate — it's the difference between what you pay now and what you'd pay next year:
$0.60 (proposed year one) − $0.35 (what you already pay) = a net increase of $0.25 per $100 of assessed value in year one.
For a $200,000 home, that's about $16.60 more per month or $199 per year — not the $605 per year the ballot states. (More on that number, and on how the rate could change in later years, below.)
Second: We're asking for $0.60 now, and it could go up to $0.70.
Our Board approved a maximum of $0.70 per $100 of assessed value. In year one, we are asking for $0.60 — because we are committed to asking only for what we need.
State law requires us to set a ceiling that can carry the district through eight years of unknowns — annual changes in assessed value, SEA 1 reducing our tax base roughly 6% per year, property tax laws that keep changing, and rising costs for essentials like gas and utilities.
The bottom line: based on the current certified assessed value, our best prediction is that a rate of $0.60 per $100 of assessed value will generate what we need to keep our schools running — buses on the road, buildings safe, clean, heated, and connected — and to maintain the programs and services our students count on. The gap between $0.60 (what we predict we need) and $0.70 (the max) gives us some room for the unknowns of the next eight years.
Remember, $0.70 isn't new territory. When the 2015 and 2019 referendums overlapped, residents supported two referendums totaling $0.70. Even at the legal maximum, this measure will not exceed a rate our community supported as recently as 2023.
So why does the ballot say $605 per year?
State law requires a calculation that assumes no existing referendum, and it assumes the maximum $0.70 rate. In the calculators below, you can see your estimated net change two ways — at the $0.60 we're asking for in 2027 (First Year), and at the $0.70 maximum we could ask for in the future — both accounting for the $0.35 you already pay.
What Would It Cost Me?
To see your own home's numbers, enter your gross assessed value by property type in the two calculators below.
- Referendum Impact At $0.60 — This is what we're asking for now. Our best estimate of your actual year-one impact.
- Referendum Impact At $0.70 — This is the maximum we could ask for in the future. The most your net change could reach over the eight years — shown so you're never surprised.
Both results account for the $0.35 rate you already pay under the 2019 referendum.
Not sure of your home's assessed value? Look it up at the DLGF AV Lookup.
Referendum Impact at $0.60 - What We're Asking For Now
Referendum Impact at $0.70 — The Maximum Allowed
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an operating referendum?
- Why is the district seeking a referendum?
- How long would the referendum last?
- How will referendum funds be used?
- How has the district managed its finances?
- What happens if it doesn't pass?
- How will it impact renters?
- What has Wayne Township done to reduce costs?
- Who can vote on this question?
- How can you afford renovations like the one at Ben Davis High School?
What is an operating referendum?
Why is the district seeking a referendum?
How long would the referendum last?
How will referendum funds be used?
How has the district managed its finances?
What happens if it doesn't pass?
How will it impact renters?
What has Wayne Township done to reduce costs?
Who can vote on this question?
How can you afford renovations like the one at Ben Davis High School?
Your Vote Matters
Voter Registration Deadline
Monday, Oct. 5, 2026
Early Voting Begins
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
Election Day
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
Indianavoters.in.gov is Indiana's official voter resource. In one place, you can:
✅ Check your voting status — confirm you're registered to vote
✅ Register to vote — it's easy and only takes a few steps
✅ Find your polling place and hours — see exactly where and when to vote, including early voting options
