On Mar. 19, residents in the Olentangy Local School District (OLSD) will vote on an instrumental levy about school funds.
The district hopes to raise $350 million in bonds and gain an additional 4.25 mill in property taxes, if the issue passes. Three of the mills hope to go to the operation of schools and 1.25 mills hope to go to future improvements.
This amounts to an additional $148.75 for every $100,000 of a homeowner’s appraised value, which is lower than the increase that occurred in 2020 and 2016. If the levy passes, taxes in Olentangy would become the third highest in Central Ohio.
The levy was made to account for future growth in the district, as 23,981 students are enrolled and 5,000 new students along with 12,000 new housing developments are expected to join the school district in the next 10 years.
The district has contested that it cannot stop future developments in the Southern Delaware County region, so the need to account for future growth by the use of levies is necessary.
The levy has included the construction of five new schools, which includes one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools, all located in the northern segment of the district, where future growth is projected. These schools are expected to open between the 2025-2026 school year and 2028-2029 school year.
The construction of these schools will make Olentangy the fourth largest school district in Ohio, only behind its urban counterparts in Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
Additionally in the levy are provisions for maintenance projects in schools. This includes improvements in arts programs and enhancements in security systems.
However, Olentangy Schools has noted that if the levy fails, many of the schools will become overcrowded, and modular classrooms, similar to the ones at Cheshire Elementary will be built. Additionally, more students will have to be redistricted, which has concerned numerous families in the district.
Historically, voters have passed levies in Olentangy by large amounts, such as ones in 2016 and 2020 that funded the construction of new schools.
While early and absentee voting has opened, the election day is Tuesday, March 19.
