Pickerington voters narrowly rejected a 10-year, 0.75% income tax proposal for the local school district, with unofficial results showing the measure failed by fewer than 400 votes. The close outcome leaves Pickerington Local School District facing the prospect of deeper budget cuts after years of spending more than it collects.
A Razor-Thin Defeat
According to unofficial results reported by NBC4, the tax measure fell short by fewer than 400 votes. NBC4 described the proposal as a traditional school district income tax, while ABC6 characterized it as a 0.75% earned income tax for 10 years. Had it passed, the levy would have taken effect January 1, raising the district's total school income tax rate from its existing 1%, per the seed reporting from the Columbus Dispatch, to 1.75%.
Estimates of how much the tax would have generated annually varied by source. NBC4 put the figure at an estimated $21.9 million a year for daily operating expenses, while the district's own financial materials estimated approximately $21 million per year, according to Pickerington Local School District. For context on what the tax would have cost individual residents, the district estimated that someone earning $80,000 in Ohio taxable income would have paid roughly $600 more per year, or about $50 a month, per the same ABC6 report.
Years of Deficit Spending Set the Stage
The vote capped months of financial strain for the district, which has been deficit spending for four years, the station's report notes. A separate May 2026 income tax levy proposal failed by a wide margin, and after voters rejected it, the district had cut approximately $3.2 million from its annual budget, according to NBC4 and ABC6. Superintendent Charles Smialek said the district had already made approximately $3.25 million in cuts even before Tuesday's vote, per the same account.
The district faced a projected $19 million deficit. An updated five-year forecast released in August projected revenue would grow by an average of just 0.91% annually while expenditures climb by an average of 4.51% annually from FY2027 through FY2031, according to Pickerington Local School District. Even assuming the November levy had passed, that forecast projected a $9.63 million net loss in FY2031.
What Happens Next
With the measure defeated, the district could face further reductions. ABC6 reported that potential cuts include high school electives, sports teams, on-campus College Credit Plus courses, and middle school band and orchestra programs. A separate NBC4 report noted that the district had not approved any of what it described as Phase II or Phase III reductions as of that reporting.
The district has also pointed to growth as a complicating factor, saying it expects to add roughly 1,000 students over the next five years even as it has spent more than it has collected since 2022, according to NBC4.
A Statewide Shift Toward Income Taxes
Pickerington's levy fight is part of a broader statewide pattern. In 2026, more Ohio school income-tax levies appeared on ballots than property-tax levies for the first time in recent history, according to WOUB. The outlet attributed the shift to districts grappling with inflation, declining state support, and homeowner pushback over property taxes.
Other districts saw different outcomes this cycle. Jackson City Schools voters narrowly approved a 1.25% earned income tax levy by roughly 100 votes, which officials projected would leave the district with about a $1 million balance in year five rather than a nearly $10 million deficit, per WOUB. Meanwhile, South-Western voters approved a $220 million school bond issue, with roughly 66% voting in favor, according to NBC4's election coverage.
