photo credit: Sophia Robinson
Voters in the Olentangy district attended their local polling places, stood in line to vote and cast their ballots on county and community issues and elections on Nov. 4, Election Day. One issue in particular had the potential to impact thousands of local students: the Olentangy Schools bond issue.
In July 2025, the Olentangy Board of Education unanimously voted to include a bond issue on the November ballot to further expand the school district with the construction of two new schools.
“The Nov. 4 no new millage bond adds two new schools, elementary school 18 and high school five, which are needed to balance enrollment and preserve the academic excellence Olentangy is known for,” District Representative Amanda Beeman said.
Both schools would be built on the Northwestern side of the district on land that is already district owned. The estimated cost for construction is $235 million, according to Olentangy Schools.
“Since it was approved on Nov. 4, the design will start in 2025. Construction on both buildings will begin in 2026, elementary 18 will open in 2027 and high school five will open in 2028,” Beeman said.
The bond issue comes over a year and a half after voters in the Olentangy district failed the March 2024 levy. However, the measures are not the same as operational levies raise taxes in order to fund operational expenses for schools over time.
“A bond is like a home loan or mortgage for the district. It allows Olentangy to build or improve schools now and repay the funds over time. By voting on the Nov. 4 Olentangy Schools bond issue, residents are deciding whether to allow the district to borrow funds to build new schools and improve facilities — without raising the current tax rate,” Beeman said.
The need for expansion in the Olentangy district is constantly growing, as there has been exponential growth in the district for decades. Many schools in the district are currently overpopulated and overutilized, and most continue to run out of space.
“Currently in Olentangy Schools, 10 elementary classrooms are housed outside of our regular school buildings to accommodate our growth, and all four of our current high schools are over building capacity and growing daily. Olentangy is projected to grow by 2,000 more students by 2028 and 4,000 more by 2031,” Beeman said.
When classrooms and schools are overcrowded, teachers have to make tough decisions on how to maximize learning and experience while also keeping students safe and comfortable.
“We’ve had to get rid of the carpets in our classrooms because there is no space to have a community. When you’re dealing with classes that are over 27, especially in the upper grades, there just is no space for them,” an elementary teacher in the district said, who wished to remain anonymous.
Managing a large classroom puts a lot of stress onto teachers, who have to handle things such as report cards, translating materials for students and accommodating lessons for students with learning disabilities, all while making sure that every single student receives the quality education they deserve.
“Grading tests, grading papers and giving quality feedback takes time. The more kids you have, the less opportunity you have to do these kinds of things. Trying to keep the attention of 28 kids at one time while many of them have obstacles to their learning or needs that need to be met that are not academic makes it a challenge,” the teacher said.
Overcrowded buildings also pose challenges and safety concerns for students and staff in the case of an emergency.
“If there’s a medical emergency and you’ve got 140 kids packed in a hallway in a space that’s only meant for 100, clearing the hallways so that it’s safe to get someone through is a challenge. It’s a lot harder clearing 140 kids than 100,” the teacher said.
On Nov. 4, over 24,000 voters from 86 different precincts voted on the Olentangy bond issue, according to Delaware County Board of Elections. 56 percent of those voters voted “yes” for the bond, passing the issue and allowing for planning, redistricting and construction to begin.
