Operating referendum on the November 3 ballot

What happened

Voters will decide on November 3, 2026 whether Porter Township schools can raise property taxes for up to eight years at no more than $0.3576 per $100 of assessed value and no more than $3.5 million a year. The district says the money would keep school resource officers, teachers and staff, class sizes, buses and programs after state tax changes cut its operations fund by about $1.19 million over 2026 and 2027. The ballot says a $350,000 median home would pay up to $599 more a year; the district says it plans to set a lower rate of about $0.1721 in the first year.

Why it matters to families

The result decides whether the district keeps current staffing and bus service or makes more cuts; leaders say they have already cut $1.6 million.

The evidence

The 2027 budget presentation quotes the ballot question, the median-home impact and the planned first-year rate; the August 20, 2026 recording explains it at the budget workshop.

The source