The Westerville City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Jan. 27 to remove a resolution that would have placed an operating levy on the May ballot and to instead concentrate district effort on securing state funding, Superintendent Angie Hamburg told the board.

Hamburg said the district is "deficit spending" because state revenue has fallen relative to local need and that administrators have already eliminated programs and positions to reduce costs. "We absolutely need additional revenue," she said, but added the district wanted time to advocate for changes in the state biennium budget and for improvements to special-education funding.

District officials said the decision follows a November levy defeat and months of internal cuts. Administrators reported roughly $4.8 million in reductions already implemented this year by deferring projects, postponing curriculum adoptions and limiting purchases; the district is also planning further reductions for the next school year, primarily through attrition and not filling some vacancies. Officials said some services and supplemental offerings could be reduced and that higher‑level course sections at the high schools may be combined.

Why it matters: Westerville leaders say the district’s long‑term finances now depend heavily on actions by the Ohio Legislature as the state determines the next two‑year (biennial) budget. District officials warned that uncertainty — including possible changes to how federal funds are administered — could force the district back onto the ballot later in the year if state support does not materialize.

What the board decided and how it voted: A motion to remove Resolution 8.01, the "resolution to proceed" with placing an operating levy on the May ballot, was made and seconded during the meeting. The board recorded five affirmative votes: Jennifer Altman (yes), Tracy Davidson (yes), Missus Levan (yes), Louise Valentine (yes) and Christy Meyer (yes). The motion passed; the district will not file the levy resolution for the May ballot.

Discussion highlights: Hamburg and district staff urged the board to use the coming months to educate and mobilize the community to contact state legislators. The board and staff discussed:
- The need to press for stabilization of the state share in the upcoming biennial budget and to update cost bases that feed the state funding formula.
- Concerns that special-education funding has not been increased to match costs and that prior state studies on special-education cost were not implemented.
- Operational changes already made (deferred maintenance, postponed curriculum purchases, reduced professional development) and proposed next‑year measures that rely on attrition and schedule consolidation to limit impacts on instructional time.
- The potential effects of federal changes if certain federal programs were reallocated to the state level, which could change how the district receives federal support for services such as special education.

Numbers and limits discussed: Administrators reported $4.8 million in current‑year budget reductions and said additional savings are being identified as resignations and retirements occur. Board members were told the district will continue to operate at a deficit without additional revenue and likely will need to return to voters at some point if state funding does not change.

Next steps and community outreach: District leaders said they will prepare informational materials, social‑media posts and community sessions to help residents contact state representatives and explain how the state funding formula and property‑tax mechanisms affect local school funding. The board asked staff to present the district’s historical funding materials again for public meetings and outreach.

The board scheduled no levy for May and will reconsider timing after the state biennium budget is finalized. The board’s next regular meeting is Feb. 10, 2025, at the Early Learning Center.