Washington Township Schools will move forward with a general fund referendum.

The School Board on Wednesday approved putting a referendum before voters that would shift money from the capital projects fund into the general fund. The district already has a similar referendum in place.

The new referendum would not raise taxes, said Superintendent James Mervilde.

Instead, it would take 8 cents from every $100 in capital projects and move it into the general fund to pay for salaries and benefits, Mervilde said.

The current referendum, due to expire in May, moves 10 cents of every $100 in capital projects into the general fund.

Officials have said that if a new referendum doesn’t pass, the district would have to cut $5.3 million from its general fund budget, used to pay for more than 92 percent of educators’ salaries and benefits.

The next step is to get approval from the City-County Council to put the referendum question on the ballot, Mervilde said. Then voters could have their say May 4.