Muncie residents have made their decision on the future of their yellow school buses by voting no on Tuesday.
The referendum looking to raise property taxes to a maximum of 39.39 cents per $100 to pay for Muncie Community School’s busing failed to pass with a close vote of 53.89 percent voting no and 46.11 percent voting yes.
The school system now must find another way to come up with the money or lose the transportation for their students.
Supporters on both sides of the referendum have focused on the poorest of Muncie residents. In Muncie, 31.4 percent residents live below the poverty line, according to a report published by the Ball State Bureau of Business Research.
The failure to pass the referendum prevented what was projected to be a yearly tax increase of $200 to $400, said Chris Hiatt, owner of Hiatt Printing, and several other rental property owners.
Supporters of the referendum said those who cannot afford to take their children safely to school will be the most impacted by the loss of service.
Muncie schools are already facing low enrollment numbers, with around 4,000 students. Those on the “vote yes” side have proposed that a failure to continue free transportation to and from school could hurt attendance.
M&M Bus Company is responsible for MCS daily transportation, and it employs 89 drivers who will lose their jobs if the buses stop running, Stacy Walker, an M&M driver, said.
Indiana requires a school district to give residents notice before ceasing busing operations; however, the school district has filed for a waiver of this requirement.
Mark Burkhart, MCS chief financial officer, said the state has postponed judgement on the waiver until after Muncie citizens vote on the referendum.
The state has until next school year to find the money it needs to continue funding the buses without a state signed waiver.
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