What school levies are on the Nov. 7 ballot in Franklin County and central Ohio?

Editor's note: Dublin City Schools passed a previous levy in 2018; an earlier version of this story had incorrect information about what year this occurred.

Voters in Columbus City Schools and six other suburban Franklin County and central Ohio school districts are being asked to decide on school funding measures on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

The reasons for the levy and bond requests vary by district, ranging from money officials say are needed for basic operating expenses for "keeping our lights on," while others are for replacement of aging school facilities.

One district is warning residents about increased class sizes and fewer field trips for students if their request is not approved, while another whose funding request for replacement of its campus was rejected on the May ballot is back with a slightly smaller ask from voters.

A majority of the school levies involve districts based in, or with a large presence in Franklin County, which recently announced increases in many property valuations as a result of a countywide reappraisal. So approval of those levies may cost residents of those districts even more money next year.

Here's an overview of the school levies on central Ohio ballots for the general election in November:

Columbus City Schools seeks nearly $100-million permanent levy

Columbus City Schools, the state's largest school district with some 48,000 students, also has the largest levy request among the seven districts with issues on the November ballot.

The CCS Board of Education voted unanimously in August to seek approval from voters for a permanent 7.7-mill, levy that would generate nearly $100-million annually for district operating costs and maintenance.

If approved by voters, the measure would cost property owners in the school district $269.50 for every $100,000 of appraised property value, and would first be assessed in 2024. The school board initially proposed the levy in late June, sending it to the Franklin County Auditor's Office to certify the necessity of the levy before formally voting to put it on the ballot.

Three mills, or $38,612,000 per year of the anticipated revenue generated, would go toward operating expenses, while 4.7 mills, or $60,492,000 per year, would be for maintenance of the district's more than 100 school buildings.

The levy request is similar to one that the board voted last year to place on the 2022 general election ballot, but later reversed itself and voted at an August school board meeting to rescind the the 4.7-mill permanent improvement levy and a $680-million, maximum 35-year bond issue. In deciding not to place the levy before voters at the time, the board cited rising inflation and said the economic timing of the levy was not right.

CCS held a press conference Tuesday outside Hamilton STEM Academy, with school board members, leaders of unions representing district teachers and other education and support staff, and parents urging support for the levy request from voters.

Board President Jennifer Adair told The Dispatch on Wednesday that the portion of the levy that covers facility improvements will help the district not only maintain what it has, but also begin planning for a new vision for the district and what it can offer students.

“The permanent improvement levy is about now — but also the future,” Adair said.

Dublin schools: Increased class sizes, fewer field trips and more at stake

Dublin City Schools voters in November will consider a $145-million, 30-year bond issue to build a new elementary school and a 7.9-mill permanent levy to fund operating costs.

If the 7.9-mill levy request is approved, property owners in Dublin school district — which includes parts of Franklin, Union and Delaware counties — would pay an additional $276.50 in property taxes for each $100,000 of the county's appraised value before the new 2023 Franklin County valuations.

School officials have told The Dispatch that district growth has stretched it to capacity, and a new levy is needed to address overcrowding in some schools. A study commissioned by the district earlier this year found that Dublin City Schools is projected to grow by an average of 270 students annually through 2032.

The district warns on its website that a levy failure may mean increased class sizes, a scaling back of school trips, and hiring freezes for administrative positions.

Dublin City Schools Superintendent John Marschhausen said the reality of the situation is that if the levy fails, the district will have to slash its budget by $45 million.

“I have been accused (that) ‘You’re threatening us (about class size increases),’” Marschhausen said. “This isn’t a threat — we have to find seats for 1,000 more students. This is the reality.”

In 2018, voters overwhelmingly approved a combination $195-million bond issue, 2-mill permanent-improvements levy and 5.9-mill operating levy on the general election ballot.

Canal Winchester schools seeking $6.8-million substitute levy

Canal Winchester Local Schools is asking voters to support a substitution levy in November for a 2019 operating levy that was widely approved by voters then — and which is expected to cost taxpayers a little less.

In 2019, district voters approved a five-year, 12.59-mill levy anticipated to generate $6.2 miillion for operations that cost property owners $386 annually per $100,000 of the county's appraised value.

Under the proposed substitution, property owners would only pay slight less at 10.2 mills, or $357 for each $100,000 of appraised value. The measure is expected to raise $6.8 million annually.

At a June board meeting, district Treasurer Nick Roberts said the levy is equivalent to a renewal, but the district is required by law to call the levy proposal a substitution. He added that the aim in 2029 when the levy expires would to be to introduce a new 10-year continuing levy rather than another five-year levy.

Canal Winchester School District is about half in Franklin County and about half in Fairfield County.

Fairbanks Local schools seeking income, property tax levies

Fairbanks Local School District — which serves most of the southern third of Union County and the northwest corner of Madison County — has two issues on the November ballot to help fund phase two of the district’s master facilities plan, which the district says requires a total of $34 million to solve issues of capacity, curriculum and capital improvements in the district.

The first ballot issue is a renewal of the 0.25% income tax that residents already pay that. That measure costs $250 in income taxes for those earning $100,000 per year.

The second ballot issue proposes an additional 0.25% income tax for a total of .50% or a half-percent, plus 1.85 mills in new property taxes. The income tax and property tax increases are expected to generate a combined $23 million over their 30 year terms.

If approved by voters, the property tax would cost $64.75 annually for every $100,000 of the county's assessed property value, said Adham Schirg, the district’s superintendent.

Madison-Plains trying again to get voter help with new complex

Madison-Plains Local School District, which serves nearly the entire southern half of Madison County, wants to demolish its current aging school buildings and construct a new pre-kindergarten through high school complex, including career tech, on its campus on Linson Roadm west of Ohio 38 in Paint Township.

The district is seeking approval of a 7.5-mill bond levy on the November ballot after a larger levy attempt failed in the May primary election. If passed, the bond would raise more than $55 million and cost property owners $263 per $100,000 of assessed value.

In May, the district had sought voter approval of a 9.9-mill, 37-year property tax levy to fund the district's $63,047,000 local share of demolishing current buildings and constructing a new pre-kindergarten through high school complex, including career tech, on the current campus on Linson Road, west of Ohio 38 in Paint Township.

Voters rejected the proposal by a margin of 56 to 44%.

Todd Mustain, Madison-Plains treasurer, said the district received a lower interest rate on a United States Department of Agriculture loan and was able to allocate additional funding toward the project, which lowered the overall millage ask for the same project.

“The project scope didn't change,” Mustain said. “There is a need for new facilities, so we’re hopeful for a solution."

Other central Ohio school levies

• Groveport Madison Local School District in southeastern Franklin County is asking voters to support at 6.68-mill permanent renewal levy for operating costs. If approved, the levy would cost property owners $170 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value beginning in 2024.

• London City Schools in Madison County is seeking a renewal of its five-year, 1% income tax that funds 20% of district operations and generates over $4 million annually.

• North Fork Local District is asking voters to pass a $58 million bond issue for constructing new school buildings and renovating and improving existing buildings. The bond term is 37 years.

Dispatch reporter Grace Tucker contributed to this report

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What school levies are on the general election ballot in central Ohio?