Voters okay majority of school issues

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Voters across Ohio approved 73 percent of the school tax issues on the ballot during the 2022 general election.

Out of 120 total issues, 87 passed, continuing but slowing the upward trend in overall passage rates since 2020. Renewal proposals continued to receive strong public support, with 64 out of 70 issues passed, although the 91 percent passage rate represents a slight decrease from last year’s 94 percent.

As in previous elections, new tax proposals didn’t fare nearly as well, with a passage rate of 46 percent, as 23 passed out of a total 50. This was a decrease from 2021’s new issue passage rate of 52 percent, though the passage rate was still higher than 2020’s 36 percent.

“OSBA congratulates the school districts and communities whose tax issues passed,” Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) Director of Legislative Services Jennifer Hogue said. “Tuesday’s results showed that communities realize the significance of their public schools. However, most of the issues approved by voters were renewals, and the passage rate for new funding was much lower. Those districts that were unsuccessful will face challenges in meeting the educational needs of their students.”

While election results are complete, they have not been officially certified by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.