INDIANAPOLIS — UPDATE: The IPS Board of School Commissioners agreed to delay voting on the operating referendum during the Action Session at its Winter Board Retreat at the Madam Walker Legacy Center Saturday morning.
PREVIOUS STORY: A controversial tax referendum has many people calling for the IPS board of commissioners to delay a vote.
That vote, expected to happen at a Saturday meeting, is part of the school district's Rebuilding Stronger plan.
At issue is whether or not the school board will vote to approve a proposal that will increase taxes to move Rebuilding Stronger forward.
Many organizations - including RISE Indy - are against it. The local nonprofit cited the plan would cause a funding gap between students in independent public charter schools and students in district-run schools.
They say, under the proposal, the total funding gap could be as high as $10,000.
In a statement, RISE Indy president and CEO Jasmin Shaheed-Young said: "We simply cannot introduce a $400 million plan and take a final vote with little to no public input or awareness - especially not a plan that so dramatically expands the existing funding gap among our local public school students."
The Indy Chamber of Commerce's partnership with IPS spans two decades, but now the chamber says it cannot support the IPS plan for a proposed tax increase for Rebuilding Stronger.
A chamber spokesperson said they understand the funding needs of IPS, but is calling for the board to delay action on a proposal that would add $50 million annually through 2031 for competitive salaries. It would increase property tax bills for the average homeowner by about $6 per month.
The chamber listed concerns and questions, including how Rebuilding Stronger would help increase graduation rates, and if the timing and amount of the planned property tax increase exacerbate current economic challenges.
In a statement, the Indy Chamber said the community needs more time to vet the current proposal and to "work with state lawmakers to address inequities in the school funding formula that disadvantage IPS and many other schools across the state."