The effects of property tax caps in Public Law 146-2008 on Indiana school corporations based on demographics

This research investigated how recent legislation establishing property tax caps resulted in different types of school districts losing funds for school facility repair and replacement. The study used property tax data from 2009 provided by the Department of Local Government and Finance and the Indiana Department of Education. The research investigated the general history and laws that have influenced the Indiana Foundation Formula for School Funding from 1973-2009. Court cases from the Indiana Supreme Court along with Indiana General Assembly objective of decreasing the correlation between high property values and high student success led to increases in the state's share of the public school funding. Analysis of Indiana's recent property assessment changes helped to influence the creation of Public Law 146-2008.;Statistical analysis showed the tax caps for metro schools are larger and significantly different from all the other demographic types. The total debt obligation a school district possesses showed some merit as a possible predictor of a district's experiencing a tax cap loss. Implications from the statistical analysis have policy implications for school districts in how they increase funding for capital projects and other tax supported property tax levies. The policy recommendations are filtered through the research questions and focus on realistic solutions for lawmakers and local policy makers such as school board members or superintendents.