Indiana’s public schools are responsible for preparing today’s children to lead our state in the years ahead. That’s why it’s vital that they are able to learn in safe, modern facilities that provide them and teachers with an environment that doesn’t interfere with the educational process. Recent actions in Indiana threaten public school investment going forward and will cut off resources that could be used to upgrade or replace aging facilities and perform needed repairs.

• A 2008 law capped homeowner property tax rates at 1 percent of a home’s value and, in November, voters will consider a constitutional amendment that would make this cap permanent. Limiting this stream of revenue means schools will have to look elsewhere for investment.
• This year’s state budget cut public school funding by $300 million – to help compensate for this, public schools were given the option of transferring money away from capital improvements to cover day-to-day operating expenses. With increased investment, however, schools would not be forced to choose between the present and the future.

• As of 2009, just over 1 million students were enrolled in our public schools. Already at this level, temporary classroom facilities – sometimes lacking basic amenities like running water – have become a common sight in school districts across the state.
• Enrollment is expected to grow. The Indiana Department of Education projects that, within 10 years, overall K-12 enrollment will increase by nearly 30,000 students.
• School districts already seeing facilities stretched beyond their limits have been deprived of many of the tools needed to cope with today’s problems and address the needs of the future. Investment in school facilities will allow administrators to return their focus to where it should be – educating our children.
• School construction, repairs and upgrades also help communities by spurring job growth. Every $1 billion invested in schools creates more than 19,000 jobs