Pickerington Schools Suspend Extracurriculars and Face Deeper Cuts After Levy Defeat
Following the rejection of an income tax levy, Pickerington Local Schools suspended extracurricular activities and evaluated deeper reduction phases.
Voters in the Pickerington Local School District on Tuesday struck down an income tax levy that would have helped fund the schools. Election results show the measure was rejected by less than 300 votes with all 47 precincts reporting.
The ballot measure was a 10-year, 0.75% additional income tax scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. District officials estimated the tax would have generated $21 million annually. Someone with a taxable income of $80,000 would have paid about $600 a year, according to the district.
District leaders stated they will work through logistical considerations of their established reduction plan and evaluate the financial implications of the outcome.
Immediate Extracurricular Suspensions
Under the district's reduction plan, Superintendent Charles Smialek confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 4, the immediate suspension of all student extracurricular activities with the exception of varsity sports. The extracurricular suspension affected families immediately, with one parent noting that her daughter should be playing lacrosse in the spring for the junior high, and as of now, that won't be happening.
School Board President Cathy Olshefski acknowledged the outcome, stating the board has a responsibility to face the challenges ahead with honesty, careful consideration and a clear understanding of the decisions before them.
Pickerington High School North exterior in Pickerington, Ohio.
Credit: LTPhotoMan / Wikimedia Commons Image source
Earlier Phase 1 Budget Reductions
District voters previously rejected a larger tax request in May.
Pickerington Local Schools trimmed roughly $3.25 million from its annual budget this school year while trying to limit the effect on classrooms, the first step in a three-phase plan intended to keep the district financially stable.
The initial phase eliminated six administrative positions, including four at the district office and two assistant principals, along with one office support position. The district also eliminated summer school and field trips, ended return transportation from away extracurricular events, reduced school and departmental budgets by 25% and increased pay-to-participate fees by 25%, to $345 per sport.
Smialek said the district preserved those options in the classrooms for students.
Classrooms Face Phase 2 and 3 Reductions
Without new operating revenue, administrators warned that subsequent reduction phases could reach directly into classrooms.
If the November measure fails, second and third phases could reach directly into classroom programming, with possibilities including fewer high school electives and college courses, reduced junior high offerings, and fewer elementary and middle school classes outside core subjects. Potential reductions reported by ABC6 also include sports teams and middle school band and orchestra programs.
Smialek described the district's choices as between bad, worse and worst, adding that the district was already in the bad phase.
Operating Deficit and Growth Pressures
The vote capped months of financial strain for the district, which has been deficit spending for four years.
The district projects revenue will grow an average of 0.91% annually while expenses rise 4.51% from fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Personnel accounts for about 82% of the budget, with employee health insurance rates increasing 11.1% and enrollment expected to grow by a projected 1,000 students within three years.
For fiscal years 2026 and 2027, the base-cost calculation under Ohio's funding formula relies on fiscal 2022 expense data, which does not account for cost increases since then.
Smialek said including the cuts in the forecast deferred the projected deficit beyond the state's three-year review window, allowing the district to remain outside those designations and retain local control.
Future Ballot Options and Timeline
The school board must determine whether to return to the ballot in 2027 to address the ongoing operating gap.
If the district returns to voters with an operating request in May 2027, Smialek said approval would not eliminate the need for cuts because collections would not begin until 2028, leaving the district without new revenue throughout 2027 and requiring cuts to bridge the gap.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Supporting evidence (7)
Voters in the Pickerington Local School District on Tuesday struck down an income tax levy that would have helped fund the schools.
Election results show the measure was rejected by less than 300 votes with all 47 precincts reporting.
The ballot measure was a 10-year, 0.75% additional income tax scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.
Read supporting passage
The ballot measure was a 0.75% additional income tax that would have been in place for 10 years, starting Jan. 1, according to the district.
District officials estimated the tax would have generated $21 million annually.
Read supporting passage
The tax would have generated a total of $21 million annually, the district said.
Someone with a taxable income of $80,000 would have paid about $600 a year, according to the district.
District leaders stated they will work through logistical considerations of their established reduction plan and evaluate the financial implications of the outcome.
Read supporting passage
In the days ahead, the District will carefully work through the logistical considerations of the reduction plan already established and evaluate the financial implications of the levy outcome.
School Board President Cathy Olshefski acknowledged the outcome, stating the board has a responsibility to face the challenges ahead with honesty, careful consideration and a clear understanding of the decisions before them.
Read supporting passage
responsibility to face the challenges ahead with honesty, careful consideration and a clear understanding of the decisions before us. We will take that responsibility seriously as we work through the financial realities, evaluate our options and determine the best path forward for our District. Our focus must remain on providing the best possible educational opportunities for our students while being responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us," School Board President Cathy Olshefski said in a statement.
What's next for Pickerington schools after income tax vote fails?
Supporting evidence (1)
The extracurricular suspension affected families immediately, with one parent noting that her daughter should be playing lacrosse in the spring for the junior high, and as of now, that won't be happening.
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“A lot of emotions today, my daughter should be playing lacrosse in the spring for the junior high, and as of now, that won't be happening,"
Supporting evidence (12)
District voters previously rejected a larger tax request in May.
Read supporting passage
Voters rejected a larger request in May.
Pickerington Local Schools trimmed roughly $3.25 million from its annual budget this school year while trying to limit the effect on classrooms, the first step in a three-phase plan intended to keep the district financially stable.
Read supporting passage
Pickerington Local Schools cut roughly $3.25 million from its annual budget this school year while trying to limit the effect on classrooms, the first step in a three-phase plan intended to keep the district financially stable.
The initial phase eliminated six administrative positions, including four at the district office and two assistant principals, along with one office support position.
Read supporting passage
Pickerington's first phase of cuts eliminated six administrative positions, including four at the district office and two assistant principals, along with one office support position, Superintendent Charles Smialek told NBC4.
The district also eliminated summer school and field trips, ended return transportation from away extracurricular events, reduced school and departmental budgets by 25% and increased pay-to-participate fees by 25%, to $345 per sport.
Read supporting passage
The district also eliminated summer school and general fund-supported field trips, ended return transportation from away extracurricular events, reduced school and departmental budgets by 25% and increased pay-to-participate fees by 25%, to $345 per sport.
Smialek said the district preserved those options in the classrooms for students.
Read supporting passage
Smialek said. "We preserved those options in the classrooms for students."
If the November measure fails, second and third phases could reach directly into classroom programming, with possibilities including fewer high school electives and college courses, reduced junior high offerings, and fewer elementary and middle school classes outside core subjects.
Read supporting passage
If the November measure fails, the second and third phases could reach directly into classroom programming. Possibilities include fewer high school electives and on-campus College Credit Plus courses, reduced junior high offerings and fewer elementary and middle school classes outside core subjects
Smialek described the district's choices as between bad, worse and worst, adding that the district was already in the bad phase.
Read supporting passage
"Our choices are between bad, worse and worst," he said. "I would say we're definitely in the bad phase already."
The district projects revenue will grow an average of 0.91% annually while expenses rise 4.51% from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Personnel accounts for about 82% of the budget, with employee health insurance rates increasing 11.1% and enrollment expected to grow by a projected 1,000 students within three years.
Read supporting passage
Personnel accounts for about 82% of the budget, and the district expects to need additional employees as enrollment grows by a projected 1,000 students within three years. Employee health insurance rates are also increasing 11.1%.
For fiscal years 2026 and 2027, the base-cost calculation under Ohio's funding formula relies on fiscal 2022 expense data, which does not account for cost increases since then.
Read supporting passage
For fiscal years 2026 and 2027, however, its base-cost calculation still uses fiscal 2022 statewide salary and operating expense data, which does not account for cost increases since then.
Smialek said including the cuts in the forecast deferred the projected deficit beyond the state's three-year review window, allowing the district to remain outside those designations and retain local control.
Read supporting passage
Smialek said including the cuts in the forecast pushed the projected deficit beyond the state's three-year review window, allowing the district to remain outside those designations and retain local control.
If the district returns to voters with an operating request in May 2027, Smialek said approval would not eliminate the need for cuts because collections would not begin until 2028, leaving the district without new revenue throughout 2027 and requiring cuts to bridge the gap.
Read supporting passage
If the November measure fails and the district returns to voters with another operating request in May 2027, approval then would not eliminate the need for cuts. Smialek said collections from a May measure would not begin until 2028, leaving the district without new revenue throughout 2027 and requiring cuts to bridge the gap.
https://hoodline.com/2026/11/pickerington-schools-tax-hike-fails-by-fewer-than-400-votes-cuts-loom/
Supporting evidence (2)
Potential reductions reported by ABC6 also include sports teams and middle school band and orchestra programs.
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ABC6 reported that potential cuts include high school electives, sports teams, on-campus College Credit Plus courses, and middle school band and orchestra programs.
The vote capped months of financial strain for the district, which has been deficit spending for four years.
Read supporting passage
The vote capped months of financial strain for the district, which has been deficit spending for four years, the station's report notes.