The referendum aims to bring in an estimated $5 million a year for three years to fund school resource officers, teacher and staff training and mental health services for students.

Since 2008, 118 of Indiana's public school districts -- about a third -- have asked their local communities for more funding through voter-approved tax hikes, or referendum measures.

Wayne and Decatur townships in Marion County were among six school funding referenda measures across the state that won approval from local voters in Tuesday's primary election.

This years first round of school funding referenda includes 10 school corporations, with a handful of the schools asking voters for more funding for the first time.

The House Ways and Means Committee approved a bill this week to let schools ask for tax hikes for safety costs alone.

Lawmakers backed off a proposal Monday that would have forced school districts to share referendum dollars with nearby charter schools.

House Education Committee chair Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) is proposing a bill that would require any districts that pass funding referenda to share those dollars with local charter schools.

Most school corporations across the state with funding referenda on the ballot won approval from voters Tuesday night; only three school corporations' measures failed.

Marion County voters approved two property-tax increases worth a total of $272 million for Indianapolis Public Schools to increase teacher pay and fund a wide array of safety initiatives.

This November there are a dozen school construction and operations referenda up for consideration - that's more than any other November election since 2010.