A debate is unfolding across Ohio as state leaders search for ways to reduce the burden of property taxes on residents. One proposal gaining attention involves a significant restructuring of the state's public education system: merging many of its 607 school districts. Proponents, like Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway, argue this could create major savings, while education leaders warn it could strip communities of local control and fail to deliver the expected financial benefits.
Key Takeaways
- A proposal to merge Ohio's 607 school districts is being discussed as a way to lower property taxes, which are heavily influenced by school funding.
- Advocates believe consolidation would reduce administrative duplication and save money on high-level salaries.
- Opponents argue that true savings would require closing schools, an unpopular move, and that local control of education would be lost.
- Education leaders point to existing efficiencies, such as shared services for payroll, IT, and purchasing through Educational Service Centers (ESCs).
The Push for Consolidation
As property tax relief becomes a central issue for Ohio lawmakers, some officials are looking beyond minor adjustments. Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway, who participated in Governor Mike DeWine’s Property Tax Working Group, suggests that a fundamental change is needed. He believes that addressing school funding, which accounts for over 60% of most property tax bills, is unavoidable.
Galloway points to what he describes as administrative bloat across the state. With 607 districts, each requires its own superintendent and treasurer, positions that often command six-figure salaries. He argues that these duplicative costs add up significantly across the state.
Administrative Costs by the Numbers
According to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, school districts spent 78.7% of their general funds on salaries and benefits in fiscal year 2024. This highlights the significant portion of school budgets dedicated to labor costs, which proponents of consolidation aim to reduce.
Examining Superintendent Salaries
The range of superintendent salaries illustrates the financial structure in question. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Put-in-Bay local district, with just 73 students, paid its superintendent $128,750. In contrast, Columbus City Schools, Ohio's largest district with 46,000 students, paid its superintendent $274,600.
While the numbers vary, supporters of mergers argue that consolidating districts could eliminate many of these high-paying roles. Galloway stated, “We’ve become administratively top heavy in schools. You’d be surprised how quick this adds up.”
Concerns Over Local Control and Real Savings
Education leaders, however, are pushing back against the idea of forced consolidation. Tom Hosler, CEO of the Ohio School Boards Association, notes that this issue surfaces every decade or so but fails to gain traction because Ohioans value local governance.
“Forced consolidation takes away families’ right to choose, and that is something certainly we’re very protective of... Public schools are the purest form of democracy that we have.”
Hosler and others argue that the promised savings from mergers are often overestimated. They contend that combining two districts of 5,000 students into one 10,000-student district doesn't simply eliminate one set of administrative staff. The new, larger district would require additional support roles, such as assistant superintendents and department heads, to manage the increased complexity.
For example, Worthington City Schools, with about 10,000 students, paid an assistant superintendent $168,000 in 2024. Akron City School District, with nearly 20,000 students, paid its assistant superintendent $178,000. These figures suggest that larger districts require their own layers of well-compensated management.
A Historical Perspective on Consolidation
This wouldn't be the first time Ohio has undergone large-scale school district consolidation. About a century ago, the state merged approximately 2,600 districts, many of which were one-room schoolhouses, into the system of just over 600 that exists today. However, education officials note that the modern educational landscape is far more complex.
The real cost savings, according to school officials, would come from closing school buildings, a move that is almost always met with strong public opposition. Furthermore, in many rural communities, the local school district is the largest employer. Job losses from consolidation could have a significant negative impact on local economies.
Existing Systems of Efficiency
Opponents of forced consolidation also highlight the extensive systems of shared services already in place. Ohio's 51 Educational Service Centers (ESCs) provide a wide range of support that individual districts might not be able to afford on their own.
Craig Burford, executive director of the Ohio Educational Service Center Association, explained that ESCs manage services like:
- Payroll and treasurer services for districts with vacancies
- Cooperative purchasing for supplies, insurance, and benefits
- Management of substitute teacher pools
- Specialized student services, including classrooms for medically fragile students
- Professional development and instructional coaching for teachers
Another key player is the Management Council of the Ohio Computer Education Network. This organization supports 16 regional IT centers that provide essential technology services to school districts at a reduced cost. These centers manage everything from student information systems and scheduling to internet access.
Geoffrey Andrews, CEO of the Management Council, said this shared IT model is the envy of other states. “Every little school in Nebraska and Iowa and Indiana and Wisconsin has to try and figure out this stuff on their own,” he said. “They’re so envious about the situation that Ohio schools are in.”
The Legislative Horizon
The debate is not just theoretical. State Senator Andrew Brenner, a Republican who chairs the Senate Education Committee, recently introduced a bill that would allow for optional district consolidation. His proposal also includes more radical changes, such as replacing local school property taxes with an increased sales tax and creating a single busing system for each county.
Brenner acknowledged that forced consolidation would be met with intense opposition. “They’ll get on their legislators’ cases, saying, ‘We don’t want our local school district to merge into that district because it’s not as good as our district,’” he said.
Despite stagnant student enrollment over the past five years, the number of districts has remained constant. For now, the discussion continues as Ohio weighs the potential financial relief of district mergers against the value of local control and community identity tied to its schools.
