Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, no jargon.
These are the questions we hear most from Westfield voters — with or without kids in the district.
Q: What exactly is a referendum? A referendum is a public vote that lets a local government or school district ask its own community for permission to raise a specific, capped amount of local funding for a specific purpose. It only happens if voters approve it, and the district can't spend more than what's approved.
Q: What is an operating referendum, specifically? It's local funding, paid through property taxes, that supports the district's day-to-day operations — things like staffing, transportation, safety, and academic programming — beyond what Indiana's state funding formula provides. It's separate from construction or debt funding, and it's the exact type of referendum Westfield voters approved in 2022.
Q: What happened to the money from the current referendum? By law, operating referendum dollars can only go toward day-to-day operating costs — staffing, safety, transportation, and student programming — not construction or debt. The WWS Financial Dashboard publishes monthly revenue and spending by fund so the community can see exactly how referendum dollars are being used.
Q: Why is WWS asking for a 2026 operating referendum? WWS ranks 266th of Indiana's 290 school districts in state funding per student — receiving $7,980 per student versus the $8,554 state average. Combined with property tax law changes, that shortfall has grown from about $9.8 million in 2022 to a projected $14.9 million in 2026. The current operating referendum, approved in 2022, is also expiring. This vote would replace it and keep that local funding in place.
Q: Will passing this referendum raise my taxes? For most homeowners, yes, but by less than the ballot language suggests. The ballot must list a maximum authorized rate of $0.3941 per $100 of assessed value — but WWS's actual financial plan projects using a lower initial rate of about $0.3381, and the district already collects $0.17 today under the current referendum this one replaces. For a home assessed at $426,700, that works out to roughly $64.02 a month at the projected rate before adjustments — and about $12.90 a month net, once you account for the existing referendum and a new 2027 state residential credit. Use the DLGF AV Lookup or the WWS Financial Dashboard to estimate your own property's impact.
Q: I don't have children in WWS. Why does this matter to me? Strong local schools support property values, attract families and employers to Westfield, and help develop the future workforce for local businesses. WWS also partners with 140+ community organizations and hosts facility rentals that serve residents well beyond the classroom. Excellent schools and an excellent community go hand in hand.
Q: Why are so many Indiana school districts discussing referendums right now? Many Indiana districts, including WWS, receive state funding support that hasn't kept pace with enrollment growth and rising operating costs, which is pushing more districts toward local operating referendums to maintain services. This is a statewide conversation, not one unique to Westfield.
Q: Would this referendum support staff raises? It supports keeping WWS competitive as an employer, which is closely tied to pay. WWS currently starts first-year teachers at about $46,000, while the average starting teacher salary in Central Indiana has climbed past $50,000. Closing that gap isn't about padding budgets — it's about being able to keep recruiting and retaining the educators who keep class sizes manageable and student outcomes strong.
Q: What happens if the referendum doesn't pass? WWS would have to bring expenses in line with its remaining funding. The district's current planning identifies potential impacts including fewer School Resource Officers and no improvement to counselor-to-student ratios, a hiring and salary freeze paired with larger class sizes, reduced services such as possible no-busing zones, and staff being asked to do more with fewer resources. These wouldn't necessarily all happen at once, but they show the scale of the decisions WWS would face without this funding.
Q: Why are school buildings still being built or renovated if there are financial concerns? Construction and major renovations are funded through separate capital referendum and debt service dollars, which state law restricts to facility projects only — that money legally cannot be redirected to cover teacher salaries, transportation, or other daily operating costs, and vice versa. Building projects and operating shortfalls are two different funding conversations.