With a school referendum on the horizon, it’s a good time to go back and review the results of the last Monroe County Community School Corporation referendum back in 1999. However, comparisons with previous elections are tricky. And there are important differences between the current situation and the one faced in 1999.
This time the referendum will be in response to major cuts in education funding, whereas the one in 1999 would have provided additional resources such as longer school days and more support staff. It’s also a different kind of election. 1999 was primarily a municipal election including races for city council, city clerk and mayor. The 2010 election will include many different county offices, townships, state legislature, U.S Congress, three school board races, and perhaps most unusual, a constitutional amendment to limit property taxes. Continue reading