Indianapolis News and Headlines

Actions

Washington Township sends school referendums to voters

Posted at 11:00 PM, Jun 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-08 23:20:52-04

Voters in Washington Township will get to decide whether to approve a pair of referendums that hold promises of better schools.

Wednesday night, dozens of concerned parents and taxpayers turned out, with many voicing their opinions on the spending plans which total nearly $200 million.

PREVIOUS | Washington Township School Board to vote on referendums

If approved in November, the referendums could lead to closing John Strange Elementary, while building a much larger elementary school a couple of miles away to accommodate the growing student population.

It would also mean renovating some schools that haven't been touched in decades.

Not everyone is in support of the measure.

"I feel the whole process has been flawed," said Penny Bigelow. "I think they are accepting non-resident students at a great cost to Washington Township taxpayers. Carmel closed their borders, and I think we should too."

For Andy McSheffery, though, the referendums are needed.

"We're looking at 10-15 years and just catching up and bringing our schools up to that par," he said. "We should ask for more to build our schools to better than even we can imagine.

The Washington Township School Board voted unanimously to approve the resolutions, which means voters will see the two referendums on the November ballot.