Concerned parents took to the polls in the 2016 spring elections. Their kids had to attend overcrowded class-rooms in the Olentangy Local School District. Subdivisions like Scioto Reserve and Golf Village are a magnet for young families, making Olentangy one of the fastest growing school districts in the State of Ohio.
Their campaign Olentangy for Kids was successful. Delaware County voters approved a property tax levy for:
- an operating levy to hire teachers and quality staff,
- a permanent improvement levy for facility repair and maintenance, and
- the approval of a bond package to build a fourth high school in the Olentangy School District.
As a result, property taxes will go up by $241.50 per $100,000 home value.
Let’s see how Olentangy property taxes compare to other suburban school districts, and how it will impact your monthly mortgage payment.
What Do Property Taxes Pay For?
Property taxes pay for many different programs. Schools are a major part of the tax bill. To find out how property taxes are distributed search for your county auditor’s website and look up “Tax Distribution”. Here are links to the auditors’ property search pages in Franklin and Delaware Counties:
In most communities 69% of property taxes are paid to the school district, the rest goes to libraries, the Zoo, Metro Parks, MRDD, the township and other programs.
Property Taxes in Suburban School Districts
Here are samples of property tax rates in some of the most popular school districts in Northwest Columbus. The first value represents the tax per $100,000 home value, the second number the percentage (%) of property taxes relative to the home value.
| Dublin Schools | $2,797 | 2.80% |
| Columbus (Dublin Schools) | $2,535 | 2.53% |
| Olentangy Schools | $2,209 | 2.21% |
| Buckeye Valley Schools | $1,485 | 1.49% |
| Worthington Schools | $2,485 | 2.49% |
| Upper Arlington Schools | $2,312 | 2.31% |
| Hilliard Schools | $2,513 | 2.51% |
Please note that these are only samples. Property taxes will vary by township or village.
Affordability of the Olentangy School District
The new school levy will increase property taxes in the Olentangy School District by $241.50 per $100K home value. This equals an 11% increase.
Your monthly payment will go up by approximately $20 per $100K.
The average sales price of homes in the Scioto Reserve subdivision (Olentangy School District) was $338,143 (past 12 months). So, homeowners can expect to pay $68 more per month.