Voters Approve Majority Of School Issues

Ohio voters Tuesday approved more than half of the proposed school funding measures.The Ohio School Boards Association says 105 levies were approved while 87 were rejected. Legislative Director  Damon Asbury says that rate is consistent with results in other presidential election years. Nearly two-thirds of all school issues on the ballot were for new money, the highest percentage in a general election in a decade. Upper Arlington school officials say they were blindsided by voters' rejection of a levy during Tuesday's election. They did not prepare a list of budget cuts if the measure failed.  The group that supported the levy says there was common ground with opponents and believed it was a winner. With provisional ballots yet to be counted, the final, unofficial poll results now show that voters approved a New Albany schools tax request by 50.5 percent, which would avoid a state-mandated recount.  Elections officials say the number of provisional ballots cast likely would be known today.  The combined 45 million dollar bond issue and 4.24-mill operating levy would fund district operations through 2016 and construction of a new school building.