Civic
Every race on your ballot, with sources. Races by stateJoin the Luminary network

School referendum · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Tri-Creek School Corporation operating referendum

A new operating levy of up to $0.1738 per $100 and $3 million a year for 8 years. A 2023 attempt failed. On ballots in Tri-Creek School Corporation (Lowell).

Who votes on it: Registered voters who live within the Tri-Creek School Corporation boundaries in southern Lake County (Cedar Creek, Eagle Creek and West Creek townships, including Lowell)

Find your exact ballotAll Indiana races

What a vote means

A yes vote
District estimate: about $219 a year ($18.22 a month) for a $300,000 home on 2027 bills; the ballot shows $245. The district says SEA 1 credits offset it in most cases.
A no vote
No new tax. Cuts the board already adopted stand: school-paid K-8 sports and clubs end Aug. 1, 2027, and the bus program ends Aug. 1, 2028.

On the ballot

Read the question as it is printed, word for word
Shall Tri-Creek School Corporation increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of replacing lost property tax revenue, funding bus transportation, student programs, and school safety by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed seventeen and thirty-eight hundredths cents ($0.1738) and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed three million dollars ($3,000,000)? If this operating referendum public question is approved by the voters, for a median residence of $300,000, the property’s annual property tax bill would increase by $245 per year. The most recent operating referendum public question proposed by the school corporation was held in 2023 and failed.

In full

Tri-Creek asks voters for up to $3 million a year for eight years (up to 17.38 cents per $100) to replace property-tax revenue the district says it lost under Senate Enrolled Act 1 of 2025, earmarked for busing, student programs and school safety. Tri-Creek is one of the few Lake County districts with no referendum levy, and voters rejected a larger 2023 request. On Aug. 6, 2026 the board unanimously approved resolutions ending its bus program effective Aug. 1, 2028 and ending school-paid K-8 sports and clubs (and some high school sports and clubs) effective Aug. 1, 2027; each resolution says the board 'may rescind' it if the district gets sufficient funding. The question is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.

What is being asked for

Most it could charge
$0.1738 per $100 of net assessed value [1]
Most it could raise a year
$3,000,000 [1]
For how long
8 years
What it replaces
Nothing. Tri-Creek has no referendum levy today; its 2026 certified school rates are Debt Service $0.7532, Operations $0.2972 and School Pension Debt $0.0046, with no Referendum Fund [1][9][3]. The only prior question (May 2023, $0.2050) failed [5][6].
On a median home
$300,000 (Lake County Auditor certification, rounded up to the next $50,000) [1] — Ballot figure: +$245 per year at the full $0.1738 rate [1]. District estimate: about $219 per year ($18.22 per month) on a $300,000 home on the 2027 bill [3][4]. Because there is no existing referendum levy, the ballot figure and the net change vs. today are the same kind of number (a new tax); the district separately says SEA 1 deductions and credits of $200-$300 'in most cases' offset it [3] (district claim, not independently verified).

If it passes

  • The district could levy up to $0.1738 per $100 (max $3,000,000 a year) for 2027-2034; the board sets the rate each year, not above the maximum [1][3].
  • Planned uses (annual estimate): bus transportation $1,040,263; student programs $1,539,668; school safety $419,112; charter share $957 [2].
  • Busing and sports/clubs: the Aug. 6 resolutions do NOT cancel themselves if the referendum passes. Each says that if the district 'would acquire sufficient funding to continue' the service, 'the Board will review this Resolution and may rescind the same' [10][11]. Rescinding would take a later board vote. The district's referendum page ties both resolutions to the question ('If approved by our community, this referendum will directly protect and sustain: Bus Transportation... Student Programs...') [3].
  • Cost: ballot +$245/yr on a $300,000 median home at the maximum rate; district estimate about $219/yr in 2027 [1][3]. Referendum taxes are outside the property tax caps [13].
  • Context: K-8 sports and clubs end Aug. 1, 2027 under the current resolution; referendum taxes from a November 2026 vote are first billed in 2027, so a rescission decision would need to come before then [10].

If it fails

  • No new tax; Tri-Creek's school tax rate stays without a referendum levy [9].
  • Already-adopted actions stand unless the board changes them: end of school-paid K-8 sports and clubs Aug. 1, 2027 (some high school sports/clubs too, to be specified) and end of the bus program Aug. 1, 2028 [10][11]. The superintendent told ABC7: 'The only options that we have are big ticket items that remain, and that is the $2.3 million in transportation. And that leaves an additional $700,000 that will have to come through big ticket items such as extracurricular sports, clubs and classroom instructional assistants' [21].
  • The Aug. 6 superintendent report also listed 'potential future analysis and layoffs of classroom instructional aides' and reductions to SRO, mental health and security funding if it fails [12].
  • District FAQ: without the referendum 'the district faces a reduction of over $2.6 million in property tax revenue by 2030' and student programs 'will face phased elimination over the next three years' [3].
  • Re-try timing: property tax referenda may now be held only at a general election, so the next opportunity would be November 2028 [22]; the bus termination date (Aug. 1, 2028) falls before that election.

How it got on the ballot

  • June 16, 2026: the board approved Resolution #2026-04 placing the question on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot; minutes record the motion by Dr. Kleefisch, second by Mrs. Miller, 'unanimously carried' with three members present (Hayden and Van Deursen absent) [7][8].
  • At that meeting the business manager told the board the referendum 'is not about adding staff, raising salaries, or starting new programs; it is strictly about replacing lost property tax revenue to maintain our current standards of service' [7].
  • The resolution states the board 'cannot, in a calendar year, carry out its public educational duty unless it imposes a referendum tax levy' and that 'a minimal portion' of the money will go to a charter school as required by IC 20-46-1-21 [8].
  • DLGF received the resolution June 17, 2026 and the Lake County Auditor's median-home certification June 22; DLGF approved the language on June 22, 2026 (Final Determination No. 26-028-REF) [1].
  • Revenue spending plan (revised June 23, 2026): bus transportation $1,040,263; student programs $1,539,668; school safety $419,112; 'Discovery Charter Share' $957 [2].
  • Aug. 6, 2026: the board approved Resolution #2026-07 (dissolution of school-sponsored/paid K-8 sports and clubs effective Aug. 1, 2027, plus high school sports and clubs to be specified later) and Resolution #2026-08 (termination of the transportation program effective Aug. 1, 2028); both 'unanimously carried' with all five members present [10][11][12].
  • The bus resolution cites IC 20-27-13-3, which requires one year's notice before ending transportation, and says ending busing 'will generate approximately $2.3 million' toward an approximately $3 million deficit [11].

The district's own numbers

  • Enrollment: 3,303 (2018-19) to 3,345 (2025-26), +1.3% (IDOE fall counts) [18].
  • Fall 2025 (IDOE transfer report, as compiled): 120 transfers in, 138 transfers out, 294 Choice Scholarship (voucher) students with legal settlement in the district [19].
  • 2026 certified school tax rates: Debt Service $0.7532, Operations $0.2972, School Pension Debt $0.0046 = $1.055 total; certified net assessed value $2.03 billion (up from $1.74 billion in 2023) [9]. The district says the $1.055 rate has been the same for four years and is 7th lowest of 16 Lake County districts [3].
  • Operations Fund levy: $5.36M (2023), $5.57M (2024), $5.80M (2025), $6.03M (2026) [9]. The district says SEA 1 reduced its 2026 property tax funding by over $2,045,000, 'estimated to exceed $2,600,000 in 3 years', cutting an Operations Fund budget of about $9,237,583 by 25-30% [3].
  • LSA estimate (SEA 1, unit report): -$1,095,840 (2026, -5.7%), -$1,040,290 (2027), -$1,516,810 (2028, -7.5%) in net levy vs. prior law [20]. LSA's figures are statewide model estimates and differ from the district's.
  • The district says eight residential subdivisions are in Town of Lowell TIF districts, so new homes' tax growth does not reach the schools [3].
  • Teacher salary range: $48,750-$89,798 (district) [3]. Bond rating: 'AA+ program rating and an underlying rating of A+' (district) [3].
  • Transportation: 179 square miles; about 2,200 students bused daily per the August business report [3][12].
  • Charter sharing: as a Lake County district with a post-May 10, 2023 resolution, the referendum must be shared with participating charters under IC 20-46-1-21; the plan shows $957 [2][8].

What came before

  • May 2, 2023: first-ever Tri-Creek operating referendum ('Teaching and Safety Program'), 8 years at $0.2050 per $100; DLGF said it would raise the average residential school tax 25.5% [5]. Result: FAILED, Yes 1,198 (34.07%), No 2,318 (65.93%) (Lake County election summary) [6]; DLGF lists it as FAILED (certified) [14].
  • The 2023 spending plan (Resolution #2022-26 Exhibit A) totaled $5,239,396, including $3,000,000 for 'Recruitment and Retention of Staff' and replacing ESSER-funded positions [15].
  • After the 2023 defeat the district announced it would identify about $1 million in budget cuts for 2024-25 [16]; the 2026 board resolutions say the district has 'eliminated over 30 employment positions and reduced staffing by more than 10% since the failed referendum of May 2023' [10][11].
  • The district describes 2023 as 'about expansion' (salaries, programs, preschool) and 2026 as 'an emergency measure to replace the property tax funding lost from Senate Enrolled Act 1' [3].
  • No Tri-Creek construction (controlled project) referendum appears in DLGF's historic list back to 2009 [17].

What each side says

Other people's words and claims, not ours, each with the page it came from. Where we found no organised campaign on a side, the page says so rather than inventing one.

For

  • Superintendent Andy Anderson (ABC7): SEA 1 made the situation 'more severe'; 'The schools are the ones that have become the villain in all of this. Because if property taxes go up, shame on the schools' [21].
  • District referendum page (official): 'This isn't about extras — this is about the essentials' [3].
  • No registered political action committee supporting the Tri-Creek question was identified in this review (gap).

Against

  • No organized opposition committee was found.
  • A Lowell resident interviewed by ABC7 said she is a senior on a limited income and that a property tax increase 'is going to hurt me significantly' [21].
  • In 2023, 65.9% of voters rejected the district's earlier, larger request [6].

Questions worth asking

  • If the referendum passes, when will the board vote on rescinding Resolutions #2026-07 and #2026-08, and would it restore all K-8 sports, clubs and bus routes?
  • Which high school sports and clubs are covered by the Aug. 1, 2027 dissolution, and when will that list be set?
  • How does the $1,040,263 in the spending plan for buses relate to the $2.3 million the district says busing costs?
  • What would the 2027 referendum rate be, and how does the district's $219 estimate compare with the $245 ballot figure?
  • How much do the Lowell residential TIF districts reduce the school's assessed value, and is any TIF revenue being returned?
  • What is the district's cash balance projection with and without the referendum (the Aug. 6 report showed one)?

What we could not find

  • No independent check of the district's SEA 1 loss estimates ($2.0-$2.7M) vs. LSA's (-$1.04M to -$1.52M).
  • Cash-balance projection shown at the Aug. 6, 2026 meeting was not obtained as a document (only referenced in news captions).
  • No breakdown of the tax effect on farmland, rentals or businesses.
  • Did not check whether a pro- or anti-referendum PAC is registered with the Lake County Board of Elections.
  • Charter school name appears as 'Discovery Charter Share' in the spending plan; not verified against IDOE records.

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

  1. Findings and Final Determination, No. 26-028-REF (Tri-Creek School Corporation) (Indiana DLGF)
  2. Tri-Creek 2026 referendum revenue spending plan (revised June 23, 2026) (Tri-Creek School Corporation via DLGF)
  3. Referendum 2026 / Financial Info page and FAQ (Tri-Creek School Corporation)
  4. Tri-Creek referendum tax calculator (Tri-Creek School Corporation)
  5. Findings and Final Determination (amended), Tri-Creek operating referendum, May 2023 (Indiana DLGF)
  6. 2023 Municipal Primary Election Summary (Public Question - Tri-Creek Schools) (Lake County Board of Elections and Registration)
  7. Board of School Trustees meeting minutes, June 16, 2026 (Tri-Creek School Corporation (BoardDocs))
  8. Resolution #2026-04 Requesting Property Tax Operation Levy Referendum (Tri-Creek School Corporation (BoardDocs))
  9. 2026 (and 2023-2025) Certified Budget, Levy, CNAV and Rate by Fund (Indiana DLGF)
  10. Board Resolution #2026-07 Regarding the Dissolution of Sports and Clubs (Tri-Creek School Corporation (BoardDocs))
  11. Board Resolution #2026-08 Regarding the Termination of Bus Services (Tri-Creek School Corporation (BoardDocs))
  12. Board of School Trustees meeting minutes, Aug. 6, 2026 (Tri-Creek School Corporation (BoardDocs))
  13. Legislative Changes to Property Tax Referenda and Controlled Projects (memo) (Indiana DLGF)
  14. Historic School Tax Levy Referenda (Indiana DLGF)
  15. Tri-Creek 2023 referendum revenue spending plan (Indiana DLGF)
  16. 2023 Referendum Announcement (Tri-Creek School Corporation)
  17. Historic Controlled Project Referenda (Indiana DLGF)
  18. Corporation Enrollment by Grade 2006-2026 (Indiana Department of Education)
  19. Fall 2025-2026 Public Corporation Transfer Report (Indiana Department of Education)
  20. SB 1 (2025) Estimated Net Levies, Changes from Baseline, by unit (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)
  21. Indiana property tax relief law drives Tri-Creek School Corporation to voters for funding (ABC7 Chicago (WLS))
  22. Legislative Changes to Property Tax Referenda (general-election-only rule) (Indiana DLGF)
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.