Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at May 11's Board of Education meeting. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions. For those interested in the full details, we've included links to longer articles where appropriate.
Draft FY27 budget keeps the district on track to stay off the ballot until 2028
Treasurer TJ Cusick presented the draft fiscal year 2027 budget, noting that while staffing remains net neutral, the district is facing rising costs for utilities and fuel. The food service department is also returning to pre-COVID norms and is currently projected to lose $345,000 this year and $500,000 next year. To address this, Cusick suggested the board consider small, incremental lunch-price increases rather than allowing the food service fund balance to drop to zero. Cusick also noted that the state has made the decision not to index school funding to inflation (despite a $1.2 billion state revenue surplus), which forces local property taxes to carry more of the burden. Despite the cost pressures, he reaffirmed that the district is on target to defer a new operating levy request until 2028.
In Other News
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Recognitions and Awards
- Slate Hill Elementary named OAESA Hall of Fame School. Slate Hill is one of ten schools selected statewide by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators. The award recognizes school culture, leadership, and student-staff relationships. Principal Julie Gulley accepted on behalf of the school; the permanent award will be presented at the OAESA statewide conference in June.
District Operations
- AP exam season underway. The district is administering about 1,500 AP exams, with 94% of students opting in.
- Swatting calls again target local districts. Superintendent Bowers acknowledged that several local districts were targeted again on May 11. The district remains in close coordination with local law enforcement and has shared response protocols with schools.
- McCord Middle School new leadership approved. Kurt Hess will serve as principal and Christina Johnson as assistant principal. Both were introduced at the meeting.
- New Retreat at Crosswoods apartments to feed into Slate Hill or Worthington Park, not Worthington Estates. The 400-unit complex opening off Campus View on August 1 would default to Worthington Estates under the current boundary map, but at 572 students Worthington Estates is already the district's largest elementary. The district plans to assign Crosswoods students to Slate Hill or Worthington Park instead — Worthington Park preferred, pending transportation logistics. The decision will be made before leases are signed.
- VibeCheck wraps its first year under the rebranded format. Director of School Community Engagement Toya Spencer reported back on year one of the consistent-cohort student feedback program.
- The Thomas Worthington cohort focused on mental health, stress and workload, peer connections, and sleep while the Kilbourne cohort focused on current events, respect, school discipline, and the renovated building's visual identity.
- Board members thanked the students and said the program filled a gap in how student voice reaches district decisions.
- NIL compliance partner engaged. Following the Ohio High School Athletic Association's November 2025 bylaw allowing high school athletes to retain amateur status while accepting endorsements, Worthington has partnered with a third-party compliance vendor to help student-athletes navigate new rules regarding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Families with high school athletes will see a letter outlining the process in Final Forms.
From the Superintendent's Blog
- A Year of Extremes and What Comes Next for Worthington Schools. Superintendent Bowers reflects on the January snow week, the April 22 hailstorm that did significant roof damage at Worthington Hills and Worthington Estates, and the elementary-phase planning work that begins in earnest in 2026-27. Read the full post.
Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, May 21. Last day of school for grades K-11.
- Sunday, May 24. Worthington Schools commencement at the Columbus Convention Center. Worthington Kilbourne at 11 a.m.; Thomas Worthington at 4 p.m.
- Monday, May 25. Memorial Day. City offices closed. Memorial Day Parade at 10 a.m.; Memorial Day Ceremony at Walnut Grove Cemetery at noon.
- Monday, June 1. Worthington Schools summer programming begins for more than 1,500 students.
- Monday, June 8. Worthington Schools Board of Education regular meeting. The FY27 budget is expected to be approved.
- Monday, June 29. Worthington Schools Board of Education meeting.
Thanks for reading this summary of the Board of Education meeting, you can watch the original full video here