County officials have set the stage for the May 6 election involving the question of renewal of referendums in two school districts: Crown Point and Hobart.

The Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Board on Tuesday met in the county commissioner’s courtroom then convened to the garage to test, before the election, six voting machines and five absentee ballots, county election director Michelle Fajman said.

Public testing is required of 5% of the voting machines that will be used in the upcoming election, with those taking part in the testing voting twice on each one, with first a no response, then a yes response, she said.

After the testing was tabulated, the certified results were recorded on a tally card and approved by the county board before being sent to state officials as required by state law, she said.

The question, yes or no, on the referendum is the only one for voters in those two school districts, she said.

“This is the fastest public testing we will have,” she said.

The Crown Point Board of School Trustees at its Jan. 29 meeting approved a referendum asking taxpayers to renew an operating referendum first approved by voters in 2011.

If approved by voters, the rate of the additional property tax levy will be at just over 18 cents per $100 of assessed value for eight years, down from the current rate of 21 cents.

The current referendum provides the school district with around $8 million in additional revenue each year.

If the proposed referendum is renewed by voters, school officials estimate the annual revenue generated to be around $8.4 million.

Money would be earmarked for four key areas: 49% for funding of academic and educationally related programs including 70 certified teachers; 19% for essential safety initiatives such as expansion of additional trained officers and advanced emergency response system; 27% for managing class sizes and maintaining manageable class sizes despite growing enrollment; and 6% for retaining teachers and staff and maintaining competitive salary and benefits for certified staff members.

Crown Point schools aren’t the only school in the area seeking a renewal of its operating referendum at the May 6 primary.

The Board of School Trustees of Hobart on Dec. 19 voted to seek a renewal of a referendum first approved by voters in 2017.

The Hobart referendum generates around $2.7 million annually for Hobart schools.

If the referendum is renewed, the tax rate will continue to be at just over 24 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for eight years.

Funds generated would be used to fund school resource officers and bus transportation, according to the Hobart school website.

Early voting for both referendums begins April 8 and ends at noon May 5 at the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office, 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point; Winfield Government Complex, 10645 Randolph St., Winfield; and Hobart Police Community Center, 705 E. 4th St., Hobart.

Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.