What does a YES vote on Zionsville Community Schools mean?

Zionsville Community Schools would raise property taxes for up to eight years, at a rate of up to $0.4128 and no more than $21,463,325 a year, to fund academic and education-related programs and manage class sizes; a median $600,000.00 home's yearly tax bill would rise by $1,368.00.

What does a NO vote on Zionsville Community Schools mean?

Zionsville Community Schools would not raise property taxes for this purpose.

Why does the ballot say $1,368?

Indiana law requires the ballot to show the increase for the median home as if no referendum existed. The district says that figure may look much higher than what residents will actually see, since a referendum has been in place since 2012.

Did the last referendum pass?

Yes. The ballot notes the most recent referendum, in 2019, passed.

How many votes does Zionsville Community Schools need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Zionsville Community Schools?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Zionsville Community Schools — Operating Referendum (Boone County)

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:07 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Zionsville Community Schools school district voters

What it does: Shall Zionsville Community Schools increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of funding and sustaining academic and educationally related programs and managing class sizes which reflect community standards by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed 0.4128 and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed $21,463,325. If this operating referendum public question is approved by the voters, for a median residence of $600,000.00, the property's annual property tax bill would increase by $1,368.00 per year. The most recent property tax referendum proposed by the school corporation was held in 2019 and passed.
A YES vote means: Zionsville Community Schools would raise property taxes for up to eight years, at a rate of up to $0.4128 and no more than $21,463,325 a year, to fund academic and education-related programs and manage class sizes; a median $600,000.00 home's yearly tax bill would rise by $1,368.00.
A NO vote means: Zionsville Community Schools would not raise property taxes for this purpose.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

Zionsville Community Schools has used an operating referendum tax since 2012. The current one, approved by voters in 2019, expires in December 2027.
The district says all of its operating referendum money pays teacher salaries and benefits, funding roughly one in three teachers. Current in Zionsville reports the 2019 referendum generates $14.2 million in 2026.
Indiana allows these referendums only in even-numbered years, so the district says it cannot wait until 2028 to renew.

If it passes

Authorizes a referendum property tax rate of up to $0.4128 per $100 of assessed value for up to eight years, raising no more than $21,463,325 a year.
The money would fund academic and educational programs and class sizes, per the ballot question.
It would replace the 2019 referendum when that expires.

Example

State law requires the ballot to show the increase compared with having no referendum at all: for the median home ($600,000 assessed value, as certified by the Boone County Auditor), $1,368 a year. Because residents already pay the 2019 referendum, the superintendent estimates the actual change for that home at about $8 to $9 more per year, Current in Zionsville reports. (source)

Who would notice

Property owners in Zionsville Community Schools' boundaries in Boone County, and the district's students and teachers.

How it got here

The ZCS Board of Trustees approved the ballot question on June 8, 2026. Indiana's Department of Local Government Finance approved the wording on June 10, 2026. The district says the renewal is needed before the 2019 referendum expires; district officials told Current that state property tax changes (Senate Enrolled Act 1) are lowering taxable value, so a higher rate is needed to raise the same revenue.

In the news

Zionsville Community Schools to put referendum on November ballot · Current in Zionsville, 2026-06-10

Written by SpectrumVote from 3 linked sources (1, 2, 3). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

According to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, Zionsville Community Schools submitted its board resolution proposing the referendum on June 9, 2026, at a tax rate of no more than $0.4128 per $100 of assessed value.

The Boone County Auditor certified the corporation's median household assessed value at $600,000, with an estimated annual tax increase of $1,368 for that home if the referendum passes.

The corporation's most recent operating referendum, in 2019, passed.

The department found the proposed ballot language complied with Indiana law and approved it on June 10, 2026.

Put on the ballot by Zionsville Community Schools Board of School Trustees (resolution submitted to DLGF June 9, 2026; board vote not stated in the DLGF determination).

From official source.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Zionsville Community Schools mean?: Zionsville Community Schools would raise property taxes for up to eight years, at a rate of up to $0.4128 and no more than $21,463,325 a year, to fund academic and education-related programs and manage class sizes; a median $600,000.00 home's yearly tax bill would rise by $1,368.00.
What does a NO vote on Zionsville Community Schools mean?: Zionsville Community Schools would not raise property taxes for this purpose.
Why does the ballot say $1,368?: Indiana law requires the ballot to show the increase for the median home as if no referendum existed. The district says that figure may look much higher than what residents will actually see, since a referendum has been in place since 2012.
How long would it last?: No more than eight years.
Did the last referendum pass?: Yes. The ballot notes the most recent referendum, in 2019, passed.
How many votes does Zionsville Community Schools need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Zionsville Community Schools?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Boone County ballot.

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