Frequently asked questions
Straight answers — including honest responses to the arguments you'll hear from the “yes” campaign.
What exactly is on the ballot?
An operating referendum for Noblesville Schools, on the November 3, 2026 ballot. It would replace the 2018 operating referendum (which expires at the end of 2026) and authorize a property-tax rate of up to 57¢ per $100 of assessed value for eight years, through 2034. Everyone living inside the Noblesville Schools boundary votes on it.
Isn't this just renewing funding the schools already have?
Not at the same price. The current rate is 37¢. The referendum authorizes a maximum of 57¢ — roughly 54% higher. A true renewal would keep the rate where it is. Calling a rate increase a “continuation” is a framing choice, not the math.
The district says it's only about $2.30 a month. What's wrong with that?
Two things. First, it's an average for a $350K home — if your home is worth more, you pay more. Second, it assumes the district won't levy the full 57¢ every year, even though the ballot lets it. When the smallest possible cost is quoted against the largest possible authorization, read the fine print. Work out your own number on The Numbers page.
Doesn't voting no hurt kids and teachers?
Supporting students and scrutinizing a tax increase aren't opposites. Noblesville is a growing district with engaged families; that's not in question. Voting no is a statement that this rate, for this long, hasn't been justified — and that accountability for existing dollars should come first. Districts routinely bring revised proposals back after a no vote.
But the superintendent promised a “not-to-exceed 4¢ annual increase.” Doesn't that protect me?
In a district video, Superintendent Dr. Dan Hile describes a “not-to-exceed 4 cents annual increase” — phasing the rate up rather than jumping to 57¢ (watch it here). But that promise is in a video, not on the ballot. What you actually vote to approve is authority to levy up to the full 57¢, and a spoken pledge doesn't legally cap the rate or bind future boards and superintendents. And note what it actually says: a “4¢ annual increase” means your rate rises every year until it reaches 57¢ — roughly five straight years of increases. See the note on The Numbers.
What happens to the current funding if it fails?
The 2018 referendum expires at the end of 2026 regardless. The district says roughly $25 million a year — about 20% of the operating budget — is at stake, and warns of cuts. A no vote sends the district back to prioritize existing spending and, if it chooses, return with a more modest proposal — a lower rate or a shorter term.
Aren't the schools underfunded by the state?
The district points to being in the “bottom 6%” of Indiana's funding formula. That's a claim about the state formula, not total resources — local referendums are exactly how districts supplement it. The debate isn't “fund schools or don't,” it's the right amount and rate, and whether households can absorb it.
What about the “$41.5 million lost to tax caps”?
Indiana's property-tax caps (the constitutional 1%/2%/3% caps) are a protection for taxpayers. Money not collected because of the caps stayed with families by design. Describing it as “lost” assumes the schools were entitled to it in the first place.
Who is behind this website?
An independent, self-funded effort by a concerned Noblesville resident — not a campaign committee or PAC. See the About page. Our goal is simply to make sure voters see the full math before Election Day.
How do I vote?
See How to Vote for registration, early voting, absentee, and Election Day details for Hamilton County. Confirm your registration and polling place at indianavoters.in.gov.