COLUMBUS, Ohio – Columbus schools officials will begin tightening the district’s belt after voters sent a levy request down to a resounding defeat at the polls on Tuesday.
Issues 50 and 51 were crushed, possibly putting on hold academic and administrative reforms backed by elected and government leaders.
“We will continue our reform efforts – to improve the quality of education provided to students – to implement those pieces of the reform program that can be implemented without additional financial resources – and to work even harder to restore the community’s trust in our school district,” interim superintendent Dr. Dan Good said in a statement released when the results were announced.
Levy opponents say the Columbus schools’ data-rigging scandal was too fresh in voters’ minds. Issue 51 would have established the post of independent auditor within the district to guard against a repeat of a similar scandal, in which attendance figures were altered to improve achievement test scores.
“The voters are asking for reform before new taxes. The fact that over half of our kids will wake up and attend a failing school in the morning is a reminder of the challenges we must address,” said Alex Fischer, president and CEO of The Columbus Partnership, a group of local business leaders working on economic development initiatives.
Mayor Michael Coleman was one of the most outspoken proponents of the 9-mill levy, which would have raised funds for new computers, pre-kindergarten programs and $8.5 million to be shared with high-performing charter schools.
Reportedly the district will have to make $50 million in additional budget cuts to account for the levy’s defeat.
Voters further demonstrated their displeasure with the status quo by electing two new members to the school board. Challenger Michael Cole received 28 percent of the vote and Domenic Paretti claimed 16 percent while incumbent Ramona Reyes got 18 percent.
Other districts fared better in yesterday’s balloting. Levies passed yesterday in Upper Arlington (4 mills), Marysville (6.56 mills), Fairbanks (8.4 mills), Granville (5.5 mills), Heath (7.9 mills), Newark (7.44 mills), North Fork (1% income tax) and Madison-Plains (2.5 mills).