What does a YES vote on Hamilton Southeastern Schools mean?

Hamilton Southeastern Schools would raise property taxes for up to eight years, at a rate of up to $0.3600 and no more than $47,500,000 a year, to fund pay for about 275 staff members, in-school therapists, school resource officers, a Director of School Safety, traffic and event security, and safety equipment, replacing the levy extended in 2023; a median $400,000 home's yearly tax bill would rise by $700.

What does a NO vote on Hamilton Southeastern Schools mean?

Hamilton Southeastern Schools would not replace its existing referendum tax with this new levy, and property taxes would not rise under this question.

Is this a second referendum on top of the 2023 one?

No. The ballot question says it would repeal the levy extended in 2023 and replace it with the new levy.

Would the full $0.36 rate be charged?

$0.36 is the maximum. The district says the board would set the actual rate each year, and it plans to recommend $0.2200 for 2027.

The district says the 2023 referendum would continue at $0.1995 through 2031 and the district would make further budget reductions.

How many votes does Hamilton Southeastern 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 Hamilton Southeastern 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.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools — Operating Referendum

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 2:38 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Hamilton Southeastern Schools school district voters

What it does: Shall the Hamilton Southeastern Schools increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of funding the HSE Referendum Program by (1) repealing the existing referendum fund tax levy extended in 2023, and (2) replacing the existing referendum fund tax levy with a new referendum fund tax levy which will provide funding for (a) the salary and benefits of approximately 275 staff members, (b) the behavioral health contract that supports therapists in our school buildings with essential mental health support during the school day, (c) the shared salaries and benefits of school resource officers, (d) the salary and benefits of the Director of School Safety, (e) the salaries and benefits of traffic control and after school event security, and (f) the purchase of safety and security supplies and equipment by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed $0.3600 and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed $47,500,000. If this operating referendum public question is approved by the voters, for a median residence of $400,000, the property's annual property tax bill would increase by $700 per year. The most recent operating referendum public question proposed by the school corporation was held in 2023 and passed.
A YES vote means: Hamilton Southeastern Schools would raise property taxes for up to eight years, at a rate of up to $0.3600 and no more than $47,500,000 a year, to fund pay for about 275 staff members, in-school therapists, school resource officers, a Director of School Safety, traffic and event security, and safety equipment, replacing the levy extended in 2023; a median $400,000 home's yearly tax bill would rise by $700.
A NO vote means: Hamilton Southeastern Schools would not replace its existing referendum tax with this new levy, and property taxes would not rise under this question.
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

Hamilton Southeastern Schools collects an operating referendum property tax that voters renewed in 2023. The district says it has a maximum rate of $0.1995 per $100 of assessed value and runs through 2031.
The district says more than 97% of the 2026 referendum budget pays teacher salaries and benefits, with the rest going to safety and security. For 2026 it lists budgeted referendum expenses of $29.96 million and projected revenue of $28.49 million.

If it passes

YES would repeal the existing referendum levy approved in 2023 and replace it with a new one for up to eight years, at a rate of no more than $0.3600 per $100 of assessed value and a maximum annual amount of $47,500,000.
The ballot lists the uses as salaries and benefits for about 275 staff members, a behavioral health contract for therapists in schools, shared costs of school resource officers, the Director of School Safety, traffic control and after-school event security, and safety and security supplies and equipment.
NO would leave the current 2023 referendum in place. The district says it would continue at the current $0.1995 rate and it would look for further budget reductions.

Example

State law requires the ballot to say a median home of $400,000 would pay $700 more per year, which assumes a brand-new levy at the full $0.36 rate. The district says it expects to propose a first-year (2027) rate of $0.2200 and estimates a homeowner with a $400,000 gross assessed value would pay about $26 more per year than under the current referendum. (source)

Who would notice

Property owners in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools district in Hamilton County, and the district's students and staff.

How it got here

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools board submitted the ballot question to the state. The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance rejected a first version on June 18, 2026 and approved a revised version on June 23, 2026 (Final Determination No. 26-032-REF-A).

The district says state property-tax changes passed in 2026 (Senate Enrolled Act 1) are projected to cut more than $45 million from its current referendum revenue over 2026-2031, and that it has identified more than $7 million in ongoing cost reductions.

Written by SpectrumVote from 4 linked sources (1, 2, 3, 4). 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, Hamilton Southeastern Schools submitted its board resolution proposing the referendum on June 23, 2026, at a tax rate of no more than $0.36 per $100 of assessed value.

The Hamilton County Auditor certified the corporation's median household assessed value at $400,000, with an estimated annual tax increase of $700 for that home if the referendum passes.

The corporation's most recent operating referendum, in 2023, passed.

The department found the proposed ballot language complied with Indiana law and approved it on June 23, 2026.

Put on the ballot by Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of School Trustees (resolution submitted to DLGF June 23, 2026; board vote not stated in the DLGF determination).

From official source.

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Hamilton County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

Next elections here

2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Hamilton County ballots

All Hamilton County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Hamilton Southeastern Schools mean?: Hamilton Southeastern Schools would raise property taxes for up to eight years, at a rate of up to $0.3600 and no more than $47,500,000 a year, to fund pay for about 275 staff members, in-school therapists, school resource officers, a Director of School Safety, traffic and event security, and safety equipment, replacing the levy extended in 2023; a median $400,000 home's yearly tax bill would rise by $700.
What does a NO vote on Hamilton Southeastern Schools mean?: Hamilton Southeastern Schools would not replace its existing referendum tax with this new levy, and property taxes would not rise under this question.
Is this a second referendum on top of the 2023 one?: No. The ballot question says it would repeal the levy extended in 2023 and replace it with the new levy.
Would the full $0.36 rate be charged?: $0.36 is the maximum. The district says the board would set the actual rate each year, and it plans to recommend $0.2200 for 2027.
What if it fails?: The district says the 2023 referendum would continue at $0.1995 through 2031 and the district would make further budget reductions.
How long would it last?: No more than eight years.
How many votes does Hamilton Southeastern 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 Hamilton Southeastern 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 Hamilton County ballot.

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections