FISHERS — Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ officials were busy fielding calls Thursday over next Tuesday’s referendum ballot question from residents puzzled over the district’s tax rate calculation and the actual ballot question.

HSE will hold a special election Nov. 10 ask voters to approve a $5.5 million referendum to help stem a $5.2 million deficit over the next two years.

* Also from FishersStar.com: Special hours Saturday for early voting on Hamilton Southeastern referendum *

The official ballot question asks residents to vote “yes” or “no” to HSE’s imposing a property tax rate that would not exceed 10 cents per $100 on the assessed valuation of a home for seven years after its approved.

The actual wording: “For the seven calendar years immediately following the holding of the referendum, shall the school corporation impose a property tax rate that does not exceed ten cents ($0.10) on each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation and that is in addition to the school corporation’s normal tuition support tax rate?”

But some, said HSE Superintendent Brian Smith, are wondering why wording on the ballot says the 10 cents are “in addition to the school corporation’s normal tuition support tax rate.”

There is no normal tuition support tax levy, said Smith.

“It doesn’t exist for the general fund,” said Smith. “The general fund is all sales tax now. It’s very misleading {$326} but because it’s in statute we have to write it that way.”

Officials put the word out early that those whose homes have an assessed valuation of $100,000 would see an increase of $11 a year; those with homes valued at $250,000 would see an increase of $44 a year.

But the district’s Web site includes a list of 11 assessed valuation combinations and corresponding tax impacts that don’t correlate to what the district has been telling the public all along.

Using a home assessed at $100,000 as an example, the chart on the district’s Web site shows homeowners of that property would see an increase of $3 in 2010, $4 in 2011 and $4 in 2012.

That’s because HSE officials broke the $11 a year to 1 percent.

“What we have been reporting to people is what they will see in their taxes do over the next three years,” said Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter. “It’s cumulative.”

After 2012?

“We don’t know,” said Smith. “Hopefully, we’ll have the funding issue fixed but who knows what the legislature will do at that point.”

The district plans to file a lawsuit against the state to seek a more equitable distribution of per-pupil funds. Should voters approve the referendum Tuesday, Smith said, the district would withdraw the seven-year measure if HSE were successful in its fight against the state.