After delaying an operating levy request for the past two years, the Upper Arlington Board of Education is returning to voters on the November 8, 2022, ballot with a 6.9-mill operating levy request. Issue 5 is a 6.9 mill continuing levy that would fund daily operations and maintain current academic programming so that the district can continue providing the current quality of education for Upper Arlington’s students while also addressing enrollment growth.
Issue 5 would add approximately $241.50 a year in property taxes per $100,000 of auditor’s appraised home value. For a home with an auditor’s appraised value of $400,000, the levy would add about $966 per year in property taxes based on calendar year 2022 tax valuations. You can look up your appraised home value at www.franklincountyauditor.com.
The role of the school district in an operating levy request is to provide factual information so that community members may make an informed decision on November 8. Below is a list of the frequently asked questions about Issue 5. For more information, please visit www.uaschools.org/Issue5.aspx.
Why are Upper Arlington residents responsible for such a large share of the district’s funding?
The district receives the majority of its revenue — 83% — from local property taxes. Of that, approximately 90% of property taxes are generated from residential property because the district has relatively little commercial property.
State aid represents only 13.1% of the total revenue for Upper Arlington Schools. Because of a relatively high property valuation and income per pupil, as well as other demographic figures, the district is considered wealthy and receives much less than the state average. In fact, last school year Upper Arlington Schools received less than half the amount of state funding per-pupil than private schools received. District leaders continue to advocate for increasing state support for the district so that it is comparable to the amount a private school receives.
Upper Arlington is landlocked. How much can enrollment really grow?
UA Schools enrollment has been growing, and projections indicate that it will continue to grow at an even faster rate over the next decade. In fact, you may see some anecdotal evidence of these changes in your neighborhood, as homeowners age and move out and new families with younger children move in.
During the past 10 years, student enrollment has grown by approximately 7%. A third-party enrollment projection report projects that UA Schools could grow by as much as 24.6%, or an additional 1,500 students, over the next 10 years.
This is one of the most exciting challenges for the school district and the community — as more students create a need for more staff and school resources. The district will continue to closely monitor enrollment growth as it plans for the future.
Doesn’t state funding help with enrollment growth?
Even amid continued enrollment growth and inflation, the district’s state funding total is expected to remain steady. In fact, it’s remained relatively flat for decades and is lower today than it was in 1999.
In 2022, UA Schools received $2.6 million in funding from the state. If you look back 23 years, to 1999, the district received $3.4 million in state funding. Adjusted for inflation, that would amount to approximately $6 million in 2022 dollars.
Why do suburban school districts like Upper Arlington keep asking for operating levies?
In Upper Arlington, approximately 96 percent of district revenues are fixed, with little or no room for growth. A major factor in this is House Bill 920, a state law passed in the 1970s.
HB 920 ensures that voted operating levies do not grow as property values increase. As property values increase, the millage collected for each voted operating levy is reduced to ensure the district’s funding from the operating levy remains flat.
Generally speaking, the only way school districts see an increase in property tax revenue is when voters approve a new operating levy. That contributes to the need for suburban school districts like Upper Arlington to return to voters every three to five years to keep up with the cost of doing business.
How much of the district budget goes toward the classroom vs. non-classroom expenses?
The majority of the district’s budget — 78% in the 2020-2021 school year — goes to supporting students in our classrooms. In fact, Upper Arlington Schools is the #1 district of the more than 600 in the state of Ohio for the percentage of funding dedicated to the classroom. That also means that our district is #1 in the state for the lowest percentage of funding (22%) dedicated to non-classroom expenses, including administrative costs.
What would happen if Issue 5 fails?
If Issue 5 fails, approximately $11 million — about 100 positions — would have to be cut from the district’s budget in the first year. This would amount to a significant restructuring of the district including cuts to academic programming and extracurricular opportunities for students.