EVANSVILLE — The Evansville Community School Board may approve one of two referendum questions at a special meeting on Monday.
The first option is a three-year, $8.7 million referendum that would raise the revenue limit by $2.9 million a year. According to the district, it has a projected tax rate increase of $80 on a $200,000 home.
The second option is a three-year, $11.1 million referendum that would raise that revenue limit by $3.7 million annually.
Superintendent Nate Perry declined to comment on Friday until after the special meeting, stating that he “would be happy to talk after I have a direction for the board on Monday night.”
At its July 10 meeting, the school board commissioned the Donovan Group, an organization that specializes in marketing and communications for public schools, to oversee a survey “focused on explaining the school district’s financial needs and possible solutions to address those needs for a potential ballot question” in November, according to board meeting notes.
The organization worked with the district and Baird, the district’s financial consulting firm in the creation of the survey.
People could respond to the survey between July 19 and July 31. The district promoted it three times on Facebook and Instagram, according to meeting notes. The district printed postcards that were sent to district addresses as soon as July 20. Those postcards had QR code, website address and contact information for a hard copy of the survey, which were available at the Eager Free Public Library, Creekside Place and each of the four school officers.
There were 840 people who responded to the survey, according to the meeting notes. Of those, 231 were community members not currently parents of preschool or school-aged students, or employees.
The survey asked for support for three potential referendum questions, two of which are on the agenda Monday.
The three-year, $8.7 million option, according to weighted survey results, just over 44% would “definitely support” that referendum and just under 26% would “probably support” it. Also in the results, over 13% would “probably not support” it and just under 17% would “definitely not support it.”
The three-year, $11.1 option had just under 32% say “I would definitely support” it, according to the weighted survey results. Also according to the results, just under 22% said they’d “probably support” it, just over 20% said they’d “probably not support” it and just over 26% said they’d “definitely not support” it.
The third option in the survey that won’t be decided on by the board was a three-year $13.8 million referendum that would raise the revenue limit by $4.6 million annually. That didn’t have as much support. According to the weighted survey results, just under 23% responded by saying “I would probably not support” it. Just over 37% said “I would definitely not support it.” Also according to the results, about 23% said “I would definitely support” it. Just under 17% said “I would probably support” it.
School Board President Mitch Larson wasn’t immediately available for comment.
The meeting is scheduled to be at the District Board and Training Center, 340 Fair Street, at Door 36 at 6:15 p.m.
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