Why is Hilliard City Schools on the November 5 ballot?
For the first time in eight years, Hilliard City Schools will be on the ballot. Starting in Fiscal Year 2023, our district’s expenditures began to exceed revenues, requiring us to dip into our cash reserves to cover the gap. While this has allowed us to maintain operations, our latest five-year financial forecast, updated in May 2024, shows the urgent challenges ahead. Without additional revenue, our cash balance is projected to decline rapidly, leading to a negative balance by the end of the 2028 school year.
Currently, our revenue is projected to grow by only 1.5% or less each year, while our expenditures are expected to increase between 3% and 5% annually. This growing gap highlights the need for new funding to ensure the long-term financial health of our district.
The new revenue from Issue 39 would help address this financial shortfall and provide funding for critical improvements, including:
- Replace and build three new elementary schools
- Add a third sixth-grade building
- Additional Preschool Center
- District-wide safety upgrades
- Enhancements to all performing & fine arts spaces
- Improvements to middle & high school athletic fields
- Renovating all elementary playgrounds
For more information on Issue 39, please click the link below:
