Voters Split on School Tax Hikes in Illinois and Indiana
Illinois voters rejected school sales tax referendums in four counties, while Indiana voters approved 70% of public school funding measures during record-setting elections.
Voters in Illinois and Indiana delivered contrasting results regarding public school funding during Tuesday's elections. In Illinois, voters in Adams, Crawford, Lake, and Tazewell counties rejected referendums to implement a 1% sales tax for school facilities, with failure margins between 54% and 57%. In Lake County, the measure failed 57% to 43% despite a strong performance by Governor J.B. Pritzker. Brian Costin of Americans for Prosperity Illinois attributed the losses to tax fatigue and declining student enrollment.
Conversely, Indiana voters approved 27 of 39 public K-12 school referendums, a 70% passage rate. Despite this success, 12 referendums failed, including those in the Anderson and Decatur Township districts. Because property tax reform legislation prevents these districts from seeking new referendums until November 2028, officials warn of severe financial gaps. Scott Collins, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, noted the district may need to cut over $8 million from its budget by 2028.
In response to these shortfalls, the Indiana School Boards Association plans to lobby for a 6% minimum increase in state tuition support. This effort coincides with a shift in the Indiana House of Representatives, where Democrats broke the Republican supermajority and ousted House Education Committee Chair Robert Behning, signaling a likely increase in Democratic influence over state education funding.
