Voters approve higher taxes for area school districts

Three cash-strapped Indianapolis-area school districts received voter approval Tuesday for property-tax hikes.

Decatur Township Schools in southwest Marion County sought $27 million in a referendum to help it save two district schools and preserve bus service. About 64 percent of voters approved the measure.

Property tax rates in the district will rise 29 cents per $100 of valuation starting in 2015 and continuing for seven years. Officials said it would raise the tax bill for an average home in the district about $7 per month.

In Hancock County, voters narrowly passed a property-tax hike to raise $2.5 million for Mount Vernon Community Schools. The measure passed by 10 votes.

The three-year hike is expected to raise tax bills by about $40 per year for homes with an assessed value of $100,000, starting in 2015.

In Morgan County, more than 80 percent of voters approved a referendum to raise $4.3 million for Eminence Community Schools. Officials said the system was in danger of closing without the additional funding.

The seven-year hike will raise the property tax rate by 40 cents per $100 of valuation, starting in 2015 and continuing for seven years.