La Porte—La Porte Community School Corporation today joined the City of La Porte and Microsoft in announcing a landmark new tax agreement that marks a defining moment for La Porte students and families.

Under the restructured agreement, Microsoft will pay its full and fair share of property taxes, with 15% of that revenue allocated directly to La Porte Community School Corporation for 20 years, with no cap. Importantly, that 15 percent represents the maximum amount permitted under Indiana law to be designated for educational programming. This represents a historic and sustained investment in public education, unlike any arrangement in place for a school district in Indiana.

The previous agreement included a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) structure with a $100 million cap over 40 years. The new agreement removes that cap entirely and moves to a full-tax model, creating a significantly more lucrative and long-term revenue stream for the district.

"This is a defining moment for our school district," said Dr. Sandra Wood, Superintendent of La Porte Community School Corporation. "What the City of La Porte and Microsoft have made possible gives our students an advantage that is unmatched anywhere in the state. An opportunity of this magnitude doesn’t just open doors for this generation, it builds them for every generation that follows."

The partnership extends beyond tax revenue. In collaboration with Ivy Tech Community College, LPCSC will establish a Microsoft Datacenter Academy at the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) center. The program will prepare La Porte students for high-skill, high-wage careers in data center operations and IT infrastructure, connecting classroom learning directly to one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide.

"La Porte has long invested in career-connected education, and this partnership elevates that commitment to a new level," Dr. Wood added. "Our students will graduate not just with a diploma, but with real pathways into careers that didn’t exist here before. That changes what’s possible for this community."

The new agreement was approved this morning by the La Porte Redevelopment Commission and the La Porte Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees. Additional details about the Datacenter Academy and partnership milestones will be shared in the coming weeks.