NOBLESVILLE, IN — The Noblesville School District is giving taxpayers a closer look at how their money is spent with the launch of a new financial transparency website called “Dollars + $ense.”
Superintendent Dr. Daniel Hile said the project is designed to help residents understand how property tax revenue supports local schools.
“I want our community to be proud of the way we're using our resources to serve the children of Noblesville,” Hile said. "That kind of led to the idea of we should create a financial transparency webpage where our community can come and learn not only how we spend money.”
The site compiles financial documents and adds explanations to make them easier to understand.
“Not only do you see all the financial documents that you could probably find in other places on state websites and things, but also we give you a little bit of an explanation of what you're looking at to help you understand how it all works together,” Hile said.
Chief Financial Officer David Hortemiller said the initiative is about accountability.
“We want to make sure that we are, first and foremost, exposing the books, exposing the transparency so that way everyone knows that our number one focus here is going to be on the trust and the investments that we make with those dollars,” Hortemiller said.
Community members said the new resource will help strengthen trust between the district and taxpayers.
“Anytime somebody can jump on and better understand if they wish to learn the facts about how the schools are paying for things, I think that's a great thing,” said Andy Hahn, who has lived in Noblesville most of his life and has three children in the district.
Longtime resident Anita Rogers, who has had two children attend Noblesville Schools, agreed, even though she no longer has kids in school.
“As a taxpayer, I think we do have that right to have that access, and I've just been really impressed that Noblesville Schools has actually demonstrated that commitment,” Rogers said.
Rogers said she feels her tax dollars are reflected in the quality of education provided.
“Absolutely — even though no one wants to pay increased property taxes, you can see — our schools are strong, they're safe, they care about our students,” she said.
The “Dollars and Sense” website is live and available to the public here.
