Central Ohio School Tax Votes Shape Household Bills
Property and income taxpayers in several central Ohio districts will see new rates if November 3 ballot issues pass.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration
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Central Ohio school districts put long-term building and operating funding decisions to voters on November 3, 2026, including South-Western's $220 million bond, Pickerington's 10-year income tax, Bexley's facilities package, and Upper Arlington's combined levy and bond. Ohio homeowners in these districts will see property or income tax changes if the issues pass.
Why it matters
Pickerington has spent more than it collects since 2022 and expects to add roughly 1,000 students over five years, while officials in Mount Vernon say renovating five of its six elementary buildings would cost more than 90% as much as replacing them. Ballot measures like these set the household tax load for the years ahead across the state.
South-Western's Issue 6 would replace the Grove City and Westland high schools, both opened in 1970, with the project funded about equally by the district and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. Bexley's $115 million facilities proposal pairs a 0.5% income tax with a 2.05-mill property tax, and Upper Arlington's Issue 7 combines a 4.9-mill operating levy with a $273.5 million construction bond.
The players
Ohio Facilities Construction Commission
The state agency that would share funding equally with South-Western for its Issue 6 high school replacement project.
South-Western City Schools
A central Ohio district whose Issue 6 would authorize $220 million in bonds to replace two 1970-era high schools.
Pickerington Local School District
A central Ohio district that has spent more than it collects since 2022 and is seeking a 10-year income tax increase.
Bexley City School District
A central Ohio district pursuing a $115 million facilities package combining an income tax and a property tax.
Upper Arlington School District
A central Ohio district whose Issue 7 pairs a 4.9-mill operating levy with a $273.5 million construction bond.
The details
South-Western's bond would be repaid through a property tax levied for as many as 38 years, with an estimated rate of 2.26 mills. Pickerington's 10-year, 0.75% traditional school district income tax would lift the district's income tax from 1% to 1.75%, and voters rejected a permanent 1.25% version in May of the prior year. Southwest Licking's replacement income tax would exempt pensions, Social Security, retirement distributions and investment income from taxation. Bexley's existing 2.05-mill construction-debt levy expires in 2027, and its proposed income tax would begin on January 1 following approval.
Timeline
Voters decide the ballot issues on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Pickerington's proposed income tax would begin generating revenue on January 1 following approval.
Bexley's proposed income tax would begin on January 1 following approval.
Bexley's existing 2.05-mill construction-debt levy expires in 2027.
Voters rejected Pickerington's permanent 1.25% income tax in May of the prior year.
The Home Front
Local school funding in Ohio relies heavily on property taxes and, increasingly, on district income taxes that Ohio districts may levy under state law. Central Ohio's November 3 package shows districts combining both tools in a single ballot effort to cover aging buildings and rising enrollment.
If you live in one of these districts, check your property and income tax exposure against the ballot language before November 3, 2026, and factor any new levy into your household budget. Income tax changes apply to earnings, so homeowners and renters alike should review how a district tax would affect their take-home pay.
The takeaway
Because several Central Ohio districts are combining bonds, levies and income taxes, the November 3 results will shape property and income tax bills for years. Check the specific ballot language for your district and keep a record of any new tax rate so your household budget can plan ahead.
Further reading
For more on how school boards plan and fund their operations, see Administration in our education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NBC4i.
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