Upper Arlington Schools is committed to being a good steward of the community’s investment in its schools. The district remains focused on the responsible use of taxpayer dollars by continually seeking out cost efficiencies through local and national purchasing consortiums and other options that do not have an impact on the day-to-day student experience. This is crucial to ensuring that the majority of the district's budget continues going to what matters most — the instruction and support of our students. Below are some examples of how the district has taken steps over the years to reduce costs.

The most significant source of savings, over time, has been the shift to self-funded workers’ compensation and medical insurance plans, which allow the district to pay the cost of each claim out of pocket, as it is incurred, instead of paying a fixed premium to an insurance carrier.

Upper Arlington Schools is part of a utility consortium with nearly 200 other school districts for electric and gas services. In June 2022, the consortium negotiated an agreement with Direct Energy/NRG that resulted in $190,000 in savings in the first year and will continue to net additional savings for the Upper Arlington school district.

In addition to utilizing a cost-saving consortium for trash services through the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), Upper Arlington Schools is partnering with SWACO on a school recycling pilot project, with the goal of it becoming a model for other school districts in the Columbus area and reducing the amount of trash going to the landfill.

While preparing for the new and renovated building projects, Upper Arlington Schools chose to purchase standardized furniture, mechanical, electrical and HVAC systems in all new buildings, which contributes to cost savings upfront and in the future.