EVANSVILLE — The Evansville Community School District will host a referendum listening session this Saturday, Oct. 19, at Creekside Place, 102 Maple St.
It’s a part of a series of sessions in which administrators have gone into Evansville and other municipalities that lie within the school district boundries, to engage with voters to explain the decision to go to referendum, to field questions and hear concerns.
It is ahead of the district’s a three-year, non-recurring $2.9 million operating referendum that’s on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The school district says it is trying to stave off having to make $920,000 in cuts, on top of $2.1 million in cuts, largely in staffing, prior to the 2024-25 school year. The $2.1 million in cuts were a result of a failed spring referendum that asked for about $22.3 million spread out over five years between 2024-25 and 2028-29.
Also during the session Saturday, Evansville High School senior Ally Walters is expected to speak about the differences between programs at the high school before and after the cuts.
The district’s current tax rate is $7.69, per $1,000 of assessed property value, which amounts to the school district portion of a tax bill on a $200,000 house being $1,538.
If the referendum were to pass, the tax rate would go up to $8.09, which would result in a school portion of the tax bill for the average $200,000 home of $1,618.
Sign up for our Daily Update & Weekend Update email newsletters!
Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
