Board members on June 26 discussed longstanding school district boundary lines that place several high‑value commercial properties in Bedford Heights inside Orange City School District.

The district’s presentation showed that the boundary lines date to about 1924 and that the properties include major commercial parcels — identified in the meeting as an Amazon delivery facility, a Coca‑Cola distribution facility, a Lowe’s and other businesses — currently taxed to Orange City School District. The treasurer said the lines were established by a combination of county authorities and the Ohio Department of Education and that changing them would require Orange’s agreement or a formal action by ODE.

Board members asked whether the city of Bedford Heights could act; administrators said city boundaries are separate from school district lines and do not determine school taxation. The treasurer said that because the area contains few or no resident children who would attend Bedford City schools, a challenge to the lines before ODE would be more difficult.

One board member asked the administration to at least begin conversations through the regional educational service center (ESC) and have the ESC put a formal request to ODE; the treasurer and superintendent said they could start with the ESC but cautioned that Orange City Schools is unlikely to cede revenue from those properties.

Administrators and board members agreed to document the discussion and explore the matter further, but they said there is no immediate administrative remedy without Orange’s cooperation or a formal ODE process. The transcript records expressions from board members that the topic frequently arises in Bedford Heights community discussions and that the estimated annual revenue at stake is significant (board members referenced “about a million dollars” or more), though the treasurer did not provide a precise current-dollar figure in the meeting.