The Ohio School Boards Association says voters approved 94 of the 110 school funding issues on local ballots in the state Tuesday.
The association's legislative director, Damon Asbury, says that's the highest passage rate in at least 15 years. As usual, levy renewals fared better than new funding issues. Ninety-six percent of renewals passed, compared with 57 percent of new requests. In Central Ohio, voters approved tax renewals for Fairbanks Local in Union County, Jefferson Local in Madison County, Lancaster schools in Fairfield County, and the Delaware Area Career Center. But a renewal request for Fairfield County's Amanda-Clearcreek district and a bond issue for Delaware County's Buckeye Valley Local were defeated. The 85 percent passage rate on Tuesday was a sharp increase over last year's general election when Ohio voters approved 106 of 162 school tax issues, a passage rate of 66 percent. Last May, voters approved 84 percent of the school tax ballot issues.