A group of about 30 parents, community leaders and residents has formed to support the effort to raise more property tax dollars for Franklin schools.
Friends of Franklin was established earlier this year to support the referendum, which will appear on ballots on May 7, said John Ditmars, the group’s chairperson. The group is a political-action committee.
With the referendum, Franklin schools aim to increase the base teacher salary from $37,500 to $40,000 to make it more competitive with other central Indiana districts, as well as increase support staff salaries by 10 to 12 percent. The district also is looking to improve mental health services that students need, Superintendent David Clendening said.
The referendum would require a property tax hike of 23 cents per every $100 of assessed value, and would give the district money starting in June of 2020. The owners of a $128,500 home would pay $118 more per year, and the school district would bring in an additional $3.5 million per year.
As a political action committee, Friends of Franklin can campaign in support of the referendum. Those campaign efforts include distributing signs, brochures and other promotional material, along with spreading the word about the referendum, whether in person or by phone, Ditmars said.
So far, the group has raised about $10,000 through donations from individuals and businesses. Volunteers with the group have already begun communicating with people around Franklin to promote the referendum, he said.
“(Franklin schools) recognize you need more revenue (in order to) stay more competitive in the market for teachers that you have and want to attract,” Ditmars said. “That goes to the level of quality education delivered. The school system wants to make sure to maintain that.
“By and large there’s been a really positive response. If you tell the story, people understand what the issue is, and let’s face it. No one likes taxes but there’s an understanding it takes money to do the things we expect out of our school system.”
While all aspects of the referendum are important, Friends of Franklin is primarily focused on increasing teacher pay, Ditmars said.
While Franklin Schools is not legally allowed to promote any stance on the referendum on its website or in school material, teachers are allowed to share their views away from the school, during their off time, Clendening said.
Clendening has also visited with community organizations, such as the Franklin Rotary Club, Otterbein Franklin SeniorLife Community and Compass Park to discuss the referendum with residents.
“There’s been a lot of support,” Clendening said about response to the referendum. “People clearly want the best teachers and support staff and want to help our students with mental health. We have a great learning environment.”
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Voters will be asked the following question:
"For the eight (8) calendar years immediately following the holding of the referendum, shall the Franklin Community Schools impose a property tax rate that does not exceed twenty-three cents ($0.23) on each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation and that it is in addition to all other taxes imposed by the school corporation for the purpose of funding academic and educationally-related programs, managing class sizes, school safety initiatives, student mental health support, and attracting and retaining teachers?"
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