SEYMORE (NBC 26) — The votes are in, but the tough decisions are just beginning for the Seymour Community School District.
According to NBC 26's election results, 54% of voters rejected the district's $15 million operational referendum on Nov. 3, with 2,812 voting no and 2,354 voting yes.
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The referendum would have provided $5 million annually over three years to help cover staffing, maintenance and other everyday operating expenses.
Now, district leaders are weighing difficult decisions that could affect both students and staff.
Staffing cuts could be on the table
District Administrator Kellie Bohn says staffing is one of the biggest concerns following the referendum's defeat.
"It's going to really mean some hard decisions for us. 70% of our operational costs are staffing and benefits," Bohn said.
Until now, the district has been able to reduce staffing through attrition, meaning positions were left unfilled when employees retired or left rather than laying off existing employees. But that approach may no longer be enough.
"We've taken a lot of pride in being able to reduce through attrition only, that may change," Bohn said.
School maintenance and employee pay could also be affected
Staffing isn't the only area facing potential changes.
"We'll have to look at some changes to our wage structure, we'll have to put off doing maintenance projects," Bohn said.
Those maintenance projects include roof work and window replacements throughout the district. Delaying the improvements could leave the district with additional maintenance needs in the coming years.
What would the referendum have meant for taxpayers?
Although the proposal asked voters to approve $15 million over three years, Bohn says it would not have increased the district's total property tax levy.
Instead, she says the referendum would have helped stabilize the amount the district collects in property taxes.
According to Bohn, if the referendum had passed, the district's property tax rate would have dropped by 53 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value, reaching its lowest level since 2016.
That doesn't necessarily mean every homeowner's individual tax bill would have decreased, since property values and taxes collected by other local governments can also affect the final amount owed.
Economic uncertainty may have influenced voters
For Seymour resident Henry Van De Werken, the referendum's defeat may have had more to do with concerns about the economy than opposition to local schools.
"I don't think most people, they just see the idea that taxes are gonna go up, and there's a lot of uncertainty in the economy right now," Van De Werken said. "So I suspect that people are probably being crunched a little bit financially. That's perhaps why it would have failed."
Van De Werken also suggested that some voters may not have fully understood what was at stake because the district's schools appear to be doing well.
"It's probably more of a perception issue that it looks like the schools are doing well. Looks like they have what they need," he said.
His comments highlight a challenge for the district as it considers its next steps: explaining its financial needs to a community where some residents may already be struggling with rising costs.
What's next for the Seymour School District?
With the referendum defeated, district leaders must now determine how to address their financial challenges without the additional funding.
That could mean changes to staffing levels, employee compensation and the timeline for needed building improvements.
However, no final decisions have been made about which positions or projects could be affected.
The Seymour School Board is expected to begin discussing next steps later this month.
