Referendum 2026

Noblesville Schools will be asking the community to vote this fall on an updated operating referendum to support ongoing academic excellence, student care and community strength. The Noblesville Schools Board of Trustees approved placing the question on the ballot at their June 9, 2026 meeting. 

REFERENDUM 2026 OVERVIEW + FAQs

The district has had referendums providing additional operational funding for the last 16 years. If a new referendum is not approved, approximately $25 million/year in funding, which is about 20% of the district’s operating budget, will expire at the end of 2026. 

Continued referendum funding would enable Noblesville Schools to advance their key strategic priorities of academic excellence, student care and community strength. 

“Noblesville residents gave us input recently on our strategic plan and told us loudly and clearly that they want us to focus on academic excellence, student care, and strong community relations,” said Dr. Dan Hile, superintendent of Noblesville Schools. “Referendum funding is central to being able to deliver the types of services our community expects for students. For example, things like offering top STEM, career and workforce development programming, recruiting and retaining strong teachers, school safety, mental health services, extracurricular opportunities, and small class sizes. Without referendum funding, the district would face substantial reductions in staff, services, and programs that directly impact the children and the community we serve.”  

The current referendum rate is 37 cents and the new proposed maximum rate is 57 cents. This proposed rate is higher than the 2018 rate because new SEA1 property tax legislation reduces funding for schools. 

Noblesville Schools needs a higher maximum rate to bring in a comparable amount of money. The proposed maximum 57 cent rate will mean an approximately $2.30 more a month for the average Noblesville home valued at $350K, depending on your specific property tax situation. 

Even with a referendum, the new SEA1 property tax legislation offers homeowners a “discount coupon” on their property taxes, so that taxes are lower than they would otherwise be. Additionally, while the maximum allowable rate would be 57 cents, the district does not plan to take that full rate each year. 

“The cost of running our schools continues to increase at a time when state and local tax revenues are decreasing, and the funding gap continues to grow,” explained Hile. 

Since 2015, Noblesville Schools has lost $41 million in funding due to property tax caps, with millions more in additional losses projected over the next eight years due to the state's new SEA1 property tax legislation. 

Additionally, Noblesville is in the bottom 6% of Indiana’s school funding formula, meaning that they receive fewer state dollars for student funding than 94% of other communities in Indiana.  

“We’ve been able to maintain our academic excellence and care for students in this climate because of cost cutting, careful financial planning, and the operating referendum dollars we receive,” Hile said.  

Residents can find more information about the referendum, including frequently asked questions, on the district’s website noblesvilleschools.org/referendum

Additionally, Hile will be presenting more referendum details and answering questions at various meetings throughout the community this summer and fall. If you'd like to invite him to meet with your group, you can submit a request here or email dan_hile@nobl.k12.in.us.