The Culver Community Schools Corporation is gearing up for a possible operating referendum this November. The school board decided Monday to hire some outside help with the process.
Members approved a municipal advisory services agreement with accounting firm Umbaugh and Associates. Superintendent Karen Shuman explained that Umbaugh will provide financial resources to help board members determine whether they want to proceed with a referendum this fall. The school board also voted to hire law firm Ice Miller as special counsel for the 2018 referendum timeline.
The Culver School Board also took the step of hiring a company to handle “data driven marketing services.” Board members selected First Tuesday Communications, after getting proposals from two firms.
Shuman added that the referendum process will require a lot of work from the school board going forward. “There is the potential of various meetings, as we move towards this path,” she explained. “If we do do the referendum, we would have our resolution, potentially, in that July 16 meeting. So we have our work cut out for us for the next couple months.”
In an operating referendum, school districts ask voters for permission to raise property taxes up to a certain amount over a period of up to eight years. That money is then used to fund teacher salaries and educational programs.
Voters in the Oregon-Davis School Corporation approved an operating referendum earlier this month, but similar measures failed at Argos Community Schools in 2016 and North Judson-San Pierre the year before.
