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Treasurer outlines bleak long-term outlook; board shown multiple levy options and trade-offs
Summary
Pickerington Local School District treasurer presented FY2026 preliminary results and several levy scenarios (0.5%–0.75% traditional income tax, 6-mill property tax, 2%–2.25% earned income tax) that would extend solvency by varying amounts but still risk negative balances by FY2031–FY2032 under current assumptions.
The Pickerington Local School District’s treasurer presented a preliminary FY2026 outlook and multiple tax scenarios at a June work session, telling trustees the district must choose between sizable new revenue or deeper program cuts.
"We anticipate reducing our cost by $3.28 million," Treasurer John Walsh said as he walked the board through a package of proposed FY2027 reductions and a multi-year staffing plan. Walsh said preliminary June 30 estimates show a small positive revenue variance and about $1.9 million in expenditure savings against the February forecast but cautioned final payroll and check runs could change those results.
Why it matters: Trustees must weigh who will pay (homeowners via property mills, residents via a traditional income tax, or working residents via an earned-income tax) against how long each option preserves cash. Walsh modeled several options: a 0.5% traditional income tax that would generate roughly $29 million when fully implemented but still leave the district below its 45-day cash policy by 2030; a 0.75% traditional option that extends solvency another year; a sample 6-mill property levy (about $16.8 million fully collected) that helps in the near term but returns the district to negative balance by FY2031; and earned-income variants (2.0% and 2.25%) that shift the tax burden toward wage earners and, in some models, keep the district solvent slightly longer.
Walsh explained collection timing: a newly approved traditional or earned-income tax ramps slowly (he estimated roughly 6% of full collections in the first year and about 70% in the second), while a property tax produces roughly half of its first full-year amount in the first six months after passage.
The superintendent framed the policy context. He and Walsh both warned that uncertainty in state funding — including the scheduled end of the current Fair School Funding inputs in 2027 — could materially change long-term projections.
Board members pressed for clarity about how long each levy would last before another ballot request would be necessary. Several trustees noted that a smaller levy that passes now likely means returning to voters sooner. One trustee summarized the trade-offs bluntly: a lower levy reduces near-term taxpayer burden but increases the chance of returning to the ballot within a few years.
What’s next: Board members said they will continue public listening sessions and must decide whether to place an issue on the November ballot; filing deadlines in late July will constrain the board’s timeline. The work session produced no votes; it was strictly informational.
Sources and attribution: Direct quotes and figures are drawn from the board work session presentation by Treasurer John Walsh and superintendent remarks during the June work session. "We anticipate reducing our cost by $3.28 million," Walsh said, summarizing proposed FY27 reductions. The meeting was opened by Board President Kathy Olszewski.
