Circuit Breaker Losses

Indiana has a 1%, 2% and 3% property tax cap for home and business owners. Amounts that exceed that cap are reduced from the Homeowner’s property tax bill. These discounts result as a shortfall inthe tax collections for the schools.

Highland has lost a total of $3,183,181 in the past five (5) years.

  • 2018 - $1,103,682

  • 2019 - $ 241,065

  • 2020 - $1,131,241

  • 2021 - $ 290,528

  • 2022 - $ 416,665

The School Town of Highland has joined the following cooperatives to be fiscally responsible.

  • NISEC – Special Education Cooperative with 8 school districts

  • Pathfinders Program – Alternative Education for Highland and Lake Central students

  • Area Career Center – Career Technical Education Cooperative through Hammond

  • Town of Highland – contributes $100,000 annually for 20 years for the repayment of the 2016 bond

  • Town of Highland – splits the cost of the Crossing Guards and provides a School Resource Officer at a daily rate for the school year

Procurement / Cooperative Purchasing Agreements: 

  • Food2School Program – food service purchases/bids with approximately 60 school districts

  • Indiana Statewide Bus Bid – purchase of school buses 

  • IAESC cooperative purchasing for supplies, paper, light fixtures

Construction / Maintenance Cost Saving Projects: 

  • LED Lighting Projects and Automatic Lights to save energy

  • Energy-efficient Boilers and Uni-vents

  • New Windows and Doors 

Salary Savings through Attrition: 

  • Reduced HR Manager for 9 years

  • Reduced HR Secretary for 10 years

  • Reduced Assistant Superintendent for 1 year