The document examines how four Ohio school districts - Columbus, Whitehall, Dublin, and Olentangy - are funded through property taxes. It finds that districts with high-income housing collect more money from property taxes and pass school levies more easily, while low-income districts struggle financially. This leads to inequities in resources and student performance between rich and poor districts. The document recommends eliminating school funding from state property taxes. Instead, it proposes a flat "school tax" statewide where money is distributed equally based on student population, not local property values. This would make school funding more equitable across districts.

1. Impact of:
School District Funding
through Property Tax
Michelle Grass
Scarlett Watson
Milton Davis
Jean Poirier
Mohamed Abdulahiid

2.  Should Ohio State Schools be funded by State property taxes? School funding by
State property taxes is unfair and biased. If the school district has high income housing,
levies will generally be passed and that school district will get more money than your
average to low income housing districts. In the average to low income housing districts,
voters will generally not pass levies, and these schools will be forced to operate over
budget and force them to make cuts. This costs students the best learning environment
possible and also costs people jobs. If low income housing is built into a high income
housing school district, residents can vote to change the school district lines. This prolongs
the never ending cycle of rich districts get quality schools while poor districts get subpar
schools.
Concept

3.  Examined four school districts:
 Columbus City Schools
 Whitehall City Schools
 Dublin City School
 Olentangy City Schools
School Districts

4.  Columbus City Schools
60% of property taxes goes toward schools
 The School district includes parts of the
Mifflin, Franklin, Clifton and Marion townships
Current District Property Taxes

5. Average Housing
Income Annual School Budget
 Average income of  Annual budgets for all
those living with in schools within district
Columbus City lines is is $722,872,622
$39,756
Income and Budgets

6.  Columbus
City Schools
Reading
87.1%
Mathematics
79.6%  Student-to-Teacher
Writing
89.1%
Ratio is:
Science
Social Studies
68.6% 17:3
80.1%
*70% Graduation Rate
Student Performance Grades

7.  Whitehall
City Schools
 Student-to-Teacher
Math 93%
Reading 90%
Ratio is:
Science 77% 17:1
Social Studies 85%
Writing 95%
Student Performance Grades

8. Average Housing
Income Annual School Budget
 Average income of  Whitehall SD spends
those living within $10,157 per pupil.
the the Whitehall
School district lines is  Spends 63% on
$24,232 instruction; 33% on
support services; 4%
on elementary and
 Within Truro secondary
Township expenditures
Income and Budgets

9.  Dublin
City  Within Washington,
Perry and Sharon
Schools
townships
Franklin County - City of Dublin Full Rate Residential Commercial
District 273 - Washington 119.40 77.40 85.65
Township - Dublin City Schools
Delaware County - City Schools
District 10 - Dublin City Schools 106.80 67.55 74.74
Union County - City of Dublin
District 39 - Washington Township 109.88 69.27 76.42
- Dublin City Schools
District 40 - Dublin Corp. - Dublin 95.90 61.80 67.81
City Schools
Current District Property Taxes

10. Average Housing
Income Annual School Budget
 Average income for  Total district budget
families living within is: $168,938,000
Dublin SD lines is  Per Pupil:
$83,429 $5,590
Income and Budgets

11. Average Proficiency Average Proficiency Tests
Tests Scores for Scores for
Students Enrolled Less Students Enrolled More
than 3 Years than 3 Years
Math 84.2% 92.3%
Readin 87.5% 93.7%
 Student-to-Teacher
g
Ratio:
17:1
Science 78% 89.4%
Social 77.6% 86.9%
Studies
Writing 91.2% 96%
Student Performance Grades

12. Year Levy Amount Pass or Fail
(millions)
Pass
1982 3.5
Pass
1985 4.5
Fail
1985 2
Pass
1990 8.9
Fail
1994 7.9
Pass
1998 7.6
Pass
2004 7.9
Pass
2008 7.9
Levy History

13.  Olentangy City
Schools
 Student-to-Teacher
Reading 95% Ratio:
Math 93% 25:1
Student Performance Grades

14.  The property tax rate  District occupies several
townships such as: Orange
for a home in Township, Berkshire
Township, Berlin Township,
Olentangy lines with Concord Township, Genoa
the value of $300,000 Township, Liberty Township,
Delaware Township
is 5,700. most of it
goes to the Olentangy  Is within Franklin and
Delaware counties as well
local schools, $4,100.
Property Tax

15. Average Housing
Income Annual Budget
 Average income for  Cost per pupil is
those living within Olentangy District is
Olentangy SD lines in $9,401
$115,904
Income and Budget

16.  Our recommendation is to lower state property tax, eliminating
school funding from state property taxes.
 Let schools keep adjusting district lines for boundary purposes to
compensate for new housing and development.
 Impose a flat rate “school” tax for the entire state.
 All of the money will be sent to one centralized institution to
distribute the money to each school based on student population.
 The more populated schools will collect more money, than smaller
schools. This will eliminate the bias of having primary school
funding being supplied by state property taxes.
 The amount of money schools get will not be based on type of
income housing it’s surrounded by, but by how populated the
school is.
Recommendation