Voters in the Westerville City Schools district passed a 0.75% earned income tax, meaning the district will avert planned cuts.
Unofficial results from show the issue passing by about a two-to-one margin in Franklin County and with about 57% of voters in Delaware County passing it.
Meanwhile, voters in the Olentangy Local School district approved a bond issue that will raise $235 million to build a new high school and elementary school while paying for other upgrades.
Unofficial results show the issue passing by about 56%.
It's a 1.77-mill, 37-year bond issue. But Olentangy school officials have said that the tax rate will not increase.
The Olentangy Board of Education adopted a resolution to structure the new debt so that no new millage would be required to service the new debt.
"Olentangy Schools extends heartfelt gratitude to our One Olentangy community for their support in passing the district’s bond issue," the district said in a statement Tuesday. "The passage of the ballot issue allows the district to continue to successfully facilitate maximum learning for every student. With enrollment increasing by 400 to 500 students on average each school year, this investment allows our district to address the growth while maintaining the high-quality experiences our students and families expect and deserve."
As for Westerville schools, Superintendent Angie Hamberg said in a statement: “This support allows us to maintain the high-quality programs, services, and staff that make Westerville City Schools such a special place for students to learn and grow.”
In September, the Westerville district’s leadership proposed a number of reductions if the issue failed.
That included terminating more than 100 teaching and specialist positions, including 44 elementary school positions, 30 middle school positions and 20 high school positions.
The school district said the earned income tax would generate $24.3 million per year to preserve staff, class sizes and academics. It would cost Westerville residents 75 cents for every $100 they earn, but would not apply to retirement income or Social Security.
Stephanie Schmidt cast her ballot at Westerville Free Will Baptist Church on Tuesday. Schmidt said she was for the issue.
"Hoping it will pass ‘cause obviously we're, you know, advocating for our kids’ education and the ability of them to have access to everything that could be provided that's going to give them the best experience possible,” Schmidt said.
In 2014, voters rejected a 4.9-mill levy for operations and a bond issue that would have paid to renovate four schools and make other improvements.
The district made $9 million in cuts after that levy failure, including 33 positions.
In Olentangy, construction of the new high school and elementary school will begin next year, with the elementary school expected to be finished in 2027 and the high school expected to be completed in 2028.
Olentangy is expected to add another 2,000 students by the 2028-2029 school year. The district now has more than 24,000 students and is the state’s fourth largest district.
Parent Stephanie Herbert was at Alum Creek Church on Tuesday voting for the issue.
"I'm all for it. I have two kids in the school district. The hallways in both the middle school and the high school are crowded, and their classrooms are between 28 and 32 kids," Herbert said.
Elizabeth Scovic also favored the issue.
"My children went there. I'll continue to support it. I'm going to continue to live here. I want good schools, period," Scovic said.
In 2024, Olentangy voters crushed a levy and bond issue by an almost 2-to-1 margin. The district was asking for 3 mills for operation and 1.25 mills for building and other improvements. That combined issue would have cost homeowners $149 a year for every $100,000 of the auditor’s appraised value.
In other local issues:
Whitehall referendum
Whitehall voters defeated three issues involving tax breaks for the planned Fairway Cliffs development, while approving an amendment to the zoning code to establish the Fairway Boulevard Overlay District.
Fairway Cliffs would build just under 50 houses in a dense development off Fairway Boulevard.
Residents were concerned about the development itself as well as a 15-year exemption from property taxes.
Blendon Township police
Blendon Township voters approved a 4.48-mill continuing levy for police that would have cost $157 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value.
The township has said it would lay off officers if the issue didn’t pass.
The levy passed as jury selection began this week for Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb, who is charged with murder in the 2023 shooting death of Ta'Kiya Young.
Mifflin Township police
Mifflin Township voters approved a 5.57-mill continuing levy that would have cost $195 each year for every $100,000 of auditor’s appraised value.
Village of Alexandria-St. Albans Township merger
Voters in the village of Alexandria and St. Albans Township in Licking County voted against a merger of the two communities by an almost three-to-one margin.
The merger would have grown the village by about 2,500 and the township would have disappeared from maps.
Proponents said the merger would thwart attempts by New Albany to annex the land, and help preserve the rural characteristics of the area as Licking County continues to grow.
Opponents didn’t want to pay Alexandria’s 1% earned income tax or abide by the village’s restrictions.
