Debate Grows Over Whether Ohio Should Consolidate Its 607 School Districts
Ohio’s 607 public school districts are once again at the center of a policy debate, as state leaders search for ways to reduce property taxes while maintaining educational quality and local control.
With a population of just under 12 million, Ohio has one of the highest numbers of school districts in the Midwest. Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway has raised the question of whether that structure is sustainable, arguing that school funding accounts for more than 60 percent of property tax bills and that administrative duplication may be driving costs.
Galloway, who served on Governor Mike DeWine’s Property Tax Working Group, said recent legislative changes amount to incremental reform rather than structural change. He contends that consolidating districts could reduce administrative overhead, particularly in leadership roles such as superintendents and treasurers, many of whom earn six-figure salaries.
According to data from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, school districts spent nearly 79 percent of their general funds on salaries and benefits in 2024. Each district maintains its own administrative structure, regardless of enrollment size, ranging from districts with fewer than 100 students to urban systems serving tens of thousands.
Concerns From Education Leaders
Education leaders and school board advocates caution that consolidation may not produce the savings some expect. They argue that Ohio districts already share services extensively through regional partnerships and educational service centers, known as ESCs.
Tom Hosler, chief executive of the Ohio School Boards Association, said districts cooperate on payroll, purchasing, information technology, energy costs, and insurance. He noted that merging districts would not eliminate the need for many administrative roles and could require additional layers of management to oversee larger geographic areas.
Hosler also emphasized the importance of local governance. Ohio families, he said, value school boards that are accessible and closely tied to their communities. He warned that forced consolidation could weaken local accountability without clear financial benefits.
Ohio ranks near the middle nationally in the number of school districts per capita, according to education analysts, and consolidation efforts tend to resurface every decade or so without significant legislative action.
Historical Context and Practical Challenges
Ohio has undergone large-scale consolidation before. Roughly a century ago, the state reduced more than 2,600 districts to the current structure, largely by merging one-room schoolhouses. Education leaders note that today’s districts are far more complex, offering specialized services that were not part of earlier systems.
Critics of consolidation also point to employment impacts. Ohio public schools employ more than 245,000 full-time workers, and districts are often among the largest employers in rural communities. Any reduction in administrative staff could affect local economies.
School finance adds another layer of complexity. Districts rely on locally approved tax levies, and merging systems with different tax structures could create legal and logistical challenges.
Legislative Signals
While no major consolidation proposal is advancing in the General Assembly, State Senator Andrew Brenner has introduced legislation that would remove school district property taxes, replace them with a higher sales tax, and allow districts to merge voluntarily. Brenner said consolidation remains optional due to strong community resistance.
However, he noted that if a proposed constitutional amendment eliminating property taxes were to pass, lawmakers could be forced to reconsider the structure of school funding and governance statewide.
Enrollment trends add urgency to the discussion. Ohio’s public school enrollment has remained largely flat over the past five years, suggesting that efficiency pressures may continue to grow.
Existing Shared Services
Supporters of the current system highlight Ohio’s extensive shared-service infrastructure. The state has 51 educational service centers that provide professional development, staffing support, special education services, alternative schools, and cooperative purchasing. ESCs conduct about $2 billion in business annually and serve roughly 15 percent of students directly.
Ohio districts also benefit from regional information technology centers coordinated through the Ohio Computer Education Network, which provides data management, scheduling systems, and discounted internet access. Education technology leaders say this model is uncommon nationally and contributes to operational efficiency.
An Ongoing Policy Question
The debate over consolidation reflects broader questions about how Ohio delivers public services and balances efficiency with local control. While some officials argue that structural change is necessary to address rising costs, others say Ohio’s existing collaborative model already provides many of the benefits consolidation is meant to achieve.
For now, state leaders appear divided, with no immediate consensus on whether reducing the number of school districts would lower costs, preserve educational quality, or meaningfully change the tax burden for Ohioans.
Source of image: Getty Images
