Why Does NACS Need an Operating Referendum?

Northwest Allen County Schools receives about $8 million less in annual funding than the state average and is the lowest in Allen County. This creates a significant gap that directly impacts daily operations and classroom learning—about $4.39 million missing each year from the Operations Fund and $3.56 million missing each year from the Education Fund. The referendum is designed to close this gap and provide students with the resources they deserve.

See the numbers behind our funding challenges and why a referendum is essential for our future.

10 Year Growth Projection

With enrollment projected to rise more than 10% in the next decade, the CTE Center is a smart solution—easing high school overcrowding while expanding career and college readiness programs

Our district is growing — both in enrollment and in the opportunities we must provide for students. Current and projected student growth means our high school is becoming overcrowded.

The new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center will help relieve that overcrowding while also offering much-needed college and career readiness programming. By keeping these programs in-house, students can prepare for both 2-year and 4-year degrees, gain real-world skills, and access career pathways right here at home.

A referendum is the only way to ensure we have the funding to meet this growth while continuing to deliver the high-quality education our community expects and deserves.

Address Growth and Provide Opportunties

Attract and Retain Teachers


Almost everyone can name a teacher, coach, or school staff member who made a lasting impact on them personally. Maybe they encouraged you to keep going when things got hard. Maybe they saw your potential when you couldn’t see it yourself. Maybe they were simply there at the right time when you needed them most.

Great teachers don’t just teach content—they inspire, challenge, and care deeply about their students. It takes smart, dedicated, thoughtful people to do this work well.

At NACS, we are fortunate to have truly incredible teachers. But right now, they are getting paid less per student than any nearby district. That makes it harder to keep the teachers our kids deserve, because other districts can offer them more for the same job.

If we want our students to continue thriving, we must ensure our teachers are valued and supported—both for their expertise and for the life-changing difference they make.

NACS teachers currently start out making $4,000–$5,500 less than teachers in every other district in Allen County. This gap makes it harder to attract new educators and puts us at risk of losing talented teachers to nearby districts.

By raising the base salary to be competitive, we can recruit top candidates, retain experienced teachers, and build a stable team of educators who are committed to staying with NACS for the length of their careers.

High Quality Support Staff


Think about the people who quietly make school possible for every child—those who sit beside a student learning English for the first time, guide a child through reading interventions, or patiently support a student with learning differences until they succeed.

These staff members change lives in ways that often go unnoticed, yet their pay ranges from just $13–$16 an hour—well below what neighboring districts offer, and far less than what they could earn in many other fields.

If we want to keep these dedicated professionals in our schools, working with our most vulnerable learners, we must show that we value them as much as the life-changing work they do every single day.

Non-Certified Salaries include instructional assistants to support special education, ELL, and other intervention and support programs, along with custodial staff, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and secretaries.