Districts Face Big Decisions After Levies Fail

CENTRAL OHIO -- A lot was on the line for more than a dozen Franklin County school districts, but not a lot of voters showed up at the polls Tuesday.

DECISION 2009: Click here for all of the May 2009 Primary results.

A little more than 91,000 Franklin County voters turned out to the polls. That was slightly less than 11 percent of registered voters.

Three of the county’s largest school districts are facing some big decisions after voters turned down requests for more money.

NBC 4’s Matt Alvarez GOT RIGHT TO THE POINT.

South-Western City Schools’ levy failure sent shock waves to students and parents who wanted to keep athletics and other student activities in place.

The 8-3-mill levy was voted down by 56 percent of voters.

"It's just taking away what we had an opportunity to do," Emily Garbrandt said.

"It's so sad that people won't support other people," Megan Garbrandt said.

"These cuts are going to hurt. The kids are going to lose,” Kelly Pertuset said.

High-school bussing will be canceled. There won’t be any sports or after-school activities for middle- and high-school students. Two of the district's schools will close. More than 50 staff will lose jobs.

Voters who opposed the levy said it was just too expensive.

"If somebody wants to pay an extra $500 a year in property tax, let them sign up and pay it voluntarily," David Baisden said.

What's next?

Levy supporters were thinking about another try in August.

Reynoldsburg City Schools also will have to make cuts and reductions as its 15.6-mill operating levy failed with a 57 percent no vote.

More than 100 staff positions were on the line.

The district will cut art, music and physical education classes for grades kindergarten through sixth.

There also will be bussing reductions.

"We go home and wonder what we could have done differently. Why the voters didn't turn out," Christine Smith said. Smith is with the Reynoldsburg Schools Levy Committee.

“We need to regroup,” said the committee’s David Albrecht.

Worthington City Schools operating levy also was defeated by 59 percent of voters Tuesday night.

It was a 7-4-mill levy and would have generated approximately $13 million annually.

The campaign did not feature details of what might be cut if the levy was defeated.

It was better news for these Central Ohio districts: Canal Winchester, Delaware, Elgin, Groveport Madison, Johnstown Monroe, Lexington, Mount Vernon City Schools, Newark, Northridge, Pickerington, Southwest Licking, Union Scioto and Westerville.

There was a narrow margin of approval for the Northridge Local Schools levy. The results available now are unofficial.

The district also is included in other counties so other counties’ official results must be included to determine an official pass or fail.

There was only one countywide levy on the ballot, and voters approved Metro Parks’ levy by 58 percent.

Levy supporters gathered at Blacklick Metro Parks Golf Course to watch the results come in Tuesday.

The .75-mill levy will help in conserving and improving natural resources, maintaining and operating metro parks and building new parks.

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