{"id":31110,"date":"2026-02-05T20:52:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T20:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brownsburgsentinel.com\/site\/?p=31110"},"modified":"2026-02-09T21:01:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:01:20","slug":"brownsburg-schools-warn-of-7-9m-budget-gap-urge-community-to-contact-lawmakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brownsburgsentinel.com\/site\/2026\/02\/05\/brownsburg-schools-warn-of-7-9m-budget-gap-urge-community-to-contact-lawmakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Brownsburg Schools Warn of $7.9M Budget Gap, Urge Community to Contact Lawmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At A Glance:
\n<\/b>What: <\/b><\/strong>Brownsburg Schools Warn of $7.9M Budget Gap, Urge Community to Contact Lawmakers
\nWhen: <\/b><\/strong>February 04, 2026
\nSummary: <\/strong>Brownsburg Community School Corporation administrators are warning that recent state legislation will force nearly $8 million in budget cuts over the next three years and are urging residents to contact lawmakers in hopes of avoiding layoffs and\/or a future tax referendum. A boiler plate email is found below in this article.<\/p>\n

BROWNSBURG<\/strong> \u2014 
\nDr. Kat Jessup School Superintendent and Shane Hacker Assistant Superintendent for Operations shared the outlook during the first session of a new Community Engagement Series held Feb. 4, describing the financial challenges as significant but not yet unavoidable if legislative solutions can be found.<\/p>\n

They both referred to two state laws \u2014 House Bill 1454 (2023) and Senate Enrolled Act 1 (2025) \u2014 which are expected to reduce district revenue by more than $5 million annually, creating a projected $7.9 million shortfall through 2028 and prompting potential early staffing and operational reductions.<\/p>\n

HB 1454 eliminated the district\u2019s ability to use the \u201cProtected Taxes Waiver,\u201d which previously allowed Brownsburg to transfer surplus debt-service funds into its operations budget without raising taxes. District officials said the change removed roughly $3.5 million per year from the operations fund while providing no direct property tax relief for homeowners. \"\"<\/p>\n

Projected revenue by fund from 2023 to 2028 assuming no changes by state legislators. SEA 1, which includes a homeowner tax credit of up to $300, is projected to further reduce local taxing-unit revenue. For Brownsburg schools alone, officials estimate the measure will cut more than $2 million annually from the operations fund.<\/p>\n

Because Brownsburg has a heavily residential tax base, administrators said the district is disproportionately affected by property tax caps compared with neighboring districts.<\/p>\n

Officials outlined a phased reduction plan totaling about:<\/p>\n