The Franklin County Board of Elections says the Gahanna Jefferson school money issue on Tuesday's ballot remains too close to call.
Only two votes separate the yays from the nays with mail-in votes being counted over the next several days. Under Ohio election law, if a local race is decided by less than half of one percent, an automatic recount is triggered. Issue 22 would support the construction of a new high school and additions to other schools. Meanwhile, two-thirds of school tax levies and other money questions on Tuesday’s ballot were approved. But some school officials are worried about about the future. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler explains:
67% of school money issues passed, including 84% of renewal school tax issues. But the overall passage rate is down from 73% a year ago, and concerning for schools facing rising pandemic-related costs. And Jeff Chambers with the Ohio School Boards Association says there are some issues that passed within a margin that triggers an automatic recount.
“Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools is one of those. It passed by two votes this morning. So the outcome of some of these levy issues is still not known.”
The numbers were better for the state’s libraries. 94 percent of library money issues on the Ohio ballot Tuesday were approved.
