Worthington Board of Education members spent significant time during their October 27th meeting discussing state legislation related to property taxes and sharing updates from various committee meetings and community engagement activities.
Property Tax Bills: What Residents Need to Know
Treasurer TJ Cusick provided a detailed breakdown of several bills making their way through the Ohio legislature, explaining how each would impact different portions of residents' property tax bills.
Understanding Voted vs. Unvoted Taxes: Cusick explained that property tax bills consist of two parts—an "unvoted" portion and a "voted" portion. For many districts at the 20-mill floor, the entire bill is essentially unvoted and grows automatically with property values. For Worthington and most suburban districts, however, the unvoted bucket (4.5 inside mills) is a relatively small portion of the total tax bill, while the voted portion (approved by voters through levies) is much larger.
House Bill 186
This bill caps growth for districts at the 20-mill floor to inflation levels. It affects the unvoted portion of the bill. Since Worthington is not at the 20-mill floor, this bill does not impact the district. Cusick noted the bill has issues—it's retroactive and penalizes districts—but conceptually, capping unvoted taxes has some merit.
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House Bill 335
This bill does impact Worthington by capping growth on inside millage to inflation levels. However, it only affects the small, unvoted portion of Worthington's tax bill. The practical effect would require the district to make up lost revenue through voted mills in future levies, meaning the voted portion might need to grow slightly.
House Bill 309
This bill raised concerns as it broadens County Budget Commission powers to reduce voter-approved levies. Unlike the previous bills affecting unvoted taxes, this targets the large, voted portion of Worthington's tax bill. While the bill includes provisions for districts to have a hearing and protects newly approved levies for five years, Cusick expressed strong opposition. "The fact that three members [of the County Budget Commission] who may not even be residents of Worthington Schools could override the will of the entire community" is problematic, he stated. "In our country, voting should matter," Cusick emphasized, calling for the bill to be "thrown out the window."
Senate Bill 93
Senator Brenner's bill proposes a complete overhaul of Ohio's school funding system. It would abolish local entities' ability to levy property taxes and replace it with one statewide property tax combined with a state sales tax increase. The state would then distribute funds to all schools based on a formula. Cusick noted that similar approaches in other states have either been recanted, allowing districts to return to local millage, or resulted in an explosion of private foundations supporting public schools. While Brenner has advocated for this concept for at least a decade, it's unclear whether the bill has traction.
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Legislative Liaison Updates
Board member Amber Epling-Skinner, who serves as the OSBA legislative liaison, provided additional context from a call earlier that day. She noted that elements of Governor DeWine's property tax work group recommendations are being incorporated into various bills, "for better or worse."
House Bill 455: The 500-Page Omnibus Bill
Epling-Skinner flagged a massive 500-page omnibus bill that OSBA is working to clean up. The bill addresses report card measurements, including fixing issues with the military readiness metric from last year, early childhood education grants, and other topics.
Senate Bill 93 Movement
Despite Brenner's long advocacy for similar concepts, the bill is moving forward with its first hearing in Senate Finance. The bill is comprehensive, addressing school transportation through proposed regional education service centers, allowing districts to consolidate through MOUs, and updating cost-per-pupil calculations.
Other Bills in Motion
- Senate Bill 156 (Success Sequence): Passed the Senate and is heading to the House. Requires public schools to teach that avoiding poverty involves graduating, getting a well-paying job, and getting married before having children.
- Senate Bill 144: Passed education committee and likely to get a floor vote this week. Addresses grade bands for teacher licensure changes.
- House Bill 415 (Crown Act): Prohibits discrimination based on natural hair. Has been introduced across many General Assemblies but never passed; currently moving forward.
- House Bill 304: Relates to club sports participation and would mandate recess twice per day.
- House Bill 502: Proposes using rainy day fund money to keep food assistance programs running during government shutdowns. Has only Democratic sponsorship.
Community Engagement: Key Communicators Meeting
Board President Kelli Davis and Vice President Epling-Skinner attended the Key Communicators meeting, which shifted format to emphasize two-way communication and input from participants.
Morning Session (External Stakeholders)
Superintendent Dr. Trent Bowers opened the session for questions. Topics included:
- Approximately 50 teachers travel between schools, primarily at the middle school level
- Book fair selection and diversity of offerings (schools use different vendors; the district is conducting an audit)
- Inconsistencies in extracurricular offerings across elementary schools (often teacher-led initiatives)
- Concerns about potential federal Department of Education elimination and impacts on funding, food service, and special education
- Property tax legislation (the board is watching closely)
Afternoon Session (Internal Stakeholders/Teachers)
Teachers discussed Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) implementation, with one first-grade teacher noting challenges with "listening stamina" for young students during extended reading instruction. The group also discussed Phase 3 elementary construction and the planned community engagement process.
Curriculum Liaison Council
Board member Stephanie Harless attended the Curriculum Liaison Council meeting, which featured a presentation on Positive Parenting classes. The district presented an abbreviated version of their sleep training program for elementary-aged children (ages 5-11).
Harless noted strong community engagement, with parents offering suggestions such as screening participants to identify families dealing with food insecurity or other barriers preventing adequate sleep. She praised Nathan Kellenberger (Coordinator of Behavior Support and Mental Health Services) and his team, noting that the programs continue to fill up quickly, demonstrating strong demand. The program is expanding as capacity allows.
Policy Committee
Board member Hudson reported that the Policy Committee met on Friday and will have additional policy changes coming to the board. The committee will stagger presenting policies as some are ready for action while others require legal counsel review. Hudson acknowledged, "We literally got a new policy while we were in the policy meeting," explaining the need for a staggered approach.
PTAC Update
Davis attended the PTAC (Parent Teacher Advisory Council) meeting, calling it "such a great group" with valuable variety in perspectives. Assistant Superintendent Angie Adrean discussed the district report card and the CLC presentation on positive parenting. Davis shared information about board "vibe check" sessions with community members, the five-year forecast, and ongoing policy work. She also discussed the updated cell phone policy implemented at the start of the school year, even though state requirements don't take effect until January.
Pepple and Wagner Legal Seminar
Harless attended a Pepple and Wagner legal seminar focused heavily on House Bill 96 implementation and Title IX policy updates. She noted that much of what was covered had already been discussed by the Worthington board, but hearing information multiple times helps ensure understanding. She plans to scan and distribute materials to fellow board members.
Upcoming Meetings
The board announced their next meetings:
- Wednesday, November 12: Auditorium construction update
- Monday, November 24: High school options presentation
- Monday, December 8: CKLA K-5 implementation and middle school pilot presentation