Voters in Franklin Township rejected a construction bond referendum on the May 3 Primary Election ballot, with “no” votes outnumbering “yes” votes by 4,729 to 2,851.
“Of course, we are disappointed that the referendum question wasn’t approved,” said Superintendent Bruce Hibbard. “We still need to address our facility challenges caused by both age and an ongoing enrollment boom. These challenges will not go away. In the meantime, we will do the best we can with existing facilities; our dedicated staff will make sure that students continue to have excellent learning opportunities.”
The ballot question asked voters to approve financing for maintenance and improvements at Franklin Central High School and additional, smaller-scale improvements to FTCSC’s six elementary schools. This is in the face of an enrollment boom that made FTCSC the state’s fastest-growing school district from 2019 and 2021, with forecasts showing continued burgeoning enrollment for the next decade. If the referendum had been approved, Franklin Township residents still would have had the lowest residential property tax bills in Marion County.
“We are determined to remain a top-quality district despite our challenges,” remarked Superintendent Hibbard. Updates to the community will continue to be provided through the district’s communication channels.