Indiana Lawmakers Push School Safety Tax

Friday, April 5, 2019 at 12:22 PM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Indiana school corporations could soon have the ability to ask taxpayers to vote on a tax increase specifically for school safety needs.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indiana schools could soon get to ask voters for another tax to generate revenue for school safety.

The House Ways and Means Committee voted 22-0 on Wednesday to advance a plan to allow school safety levies. The legislation which could allow for property tax increases is now heading to the House floor.

State Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) says the idea with Senate Bill 127 is to allow schools to add the tax as a way to pay for everything from mental health counselors to new secure doors. Porter, a co-sponsor of the bill, says as long as a school has a safety need, the proposed tax could pay for it.

As with any election, a referendum approved by a school board would have to receive approval from a majority of voters in the school district. A limit of eight years would be the maximum term for any tax levy, but a levy could be put up for renewal with school board approval.

Funds generated by the levy would be put into a separate fund belonging to the school corporation.

Committee co-chair State Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) voted in support of the bill, but questioned whether a specific levy is needed for school safety.

“At this time I feel this bill is a little bit redundant, because we do have an operating and construction levy referendums out there,” he said.

SB 127 passed the Senate in February on a 42-7 vote.