Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Comparisons of Ohio school districts are always difficult, due to all the variables involved, all the different data sources used, and all the dates as of which data is gathered. A useful ground rule for such comparisons, however, is that they be based on the school district profiles compiled by the Ohio Department of Education (''ODE''). These profiles summarize 60 useful variables for all but three of Ohio's 600+ school districts, using a consistent terminology and methodology, based on data gathered by the school districts themselves and based, finally, on the same point in time. These profiles also are conveniently available to everyone at the ODE's web site (www.ode.state.oh.us/school_finance/data).

These profiles highlight the strong contrasts between the PLSD and the Beachwood City School District (the ''BCSD'') in Cuyahoga County, to which the PLSD has lately been misleadingly compared. Next to their more enlightened and generous foils from the BCSD, we are told, the PLSD's taxpayers are greedy cheapskates. The ODE statistics, however, tell a different story.

First, the BCSD occupies a total land area of only 6 square miles, compared to the PLSD's 37 square miles. More telling, last year the BCSD had an ''average daily membership'' (the ODE's jargon for total attendance) of just 1,415, compared to the PLSD's 7,571.

Moreover, despite having an ''ADM'' of less than 1/5 the PLSD's, the BCSC had a total property tax base last year that was nearly $70 million larger than the PLSD's. That translates, for the ODE, into an assessed property valuation per pupil of $441,972 for the BCSD, compared to $79,621 for the PLSD.

Indeed, the PLSD's assessed property valuation per pupil is significantly below the state average of almost $108,000, which is why the PLSD receives significant ''parity aid'' from the state. In constrast, the ODE rates the BCSD, in terms of its property tax base, among the richest two or three school districts in the state (although it is true that the PLSD's median income last year was slightly higher than the BCSD's).

Significantly, business property accounted for nearly 60% of the BCSD's property tax base, compared to a mere 18% for the PLSD.

It is true that the BCSD spent far more per pupil last year than the PLSD ($16,449 to $6,853). However, the BCSD required less taxation to do so. Unlike the PLSD, the BCSD had no school district income tax. Furthermore, its effective operating (not bond) millage rate for residential property was only 22.4 mills last year, compared to the PLSD's 25.99 (which is slightly inflated, I believe in both cases, by inclusion of joint vocational school millage).

Thus the ODE actually assigned the PLSD a significantly higher ''local tax effort index'' than the BCSD. To top it off, the BCSD had only a 26 for 27 last year, compared to the PLSD's 27 of 27. You can look it up.

By Bruce Rigelman

Class Size & AP Courses

Dr. Rigelman,

Thanks for the helpful information.

I agree ODE is helpful in comparing districts. That is where I obtained the medium household income figures and class size.

Our class size, according to ODE, is 20.1 and Beachwood's is 11.1. That is correct, isn't it?

In addition, you may be able to share some helpful information on the Advanced Placement Courses offered at Beachwood High School versus the number offered at Pickerington High School. According to the Dispatch for a much small high school, there are 14 AP courses offered in Beachwood. I believe I read in Business First that we offered 7. Please help explain why they offer so many and we offer so few.

And, just for your information, the Columbus Dispatch used the word generous in describing the residents of Beachwood.

Thanks for the information!

School Taxes -- BCSD v. PLSD

Dr. Rigelman,

A few more questions ...

I'm not sure I can determine yet the bottom line in comparing Pickerington with Beachwood.

So far we know that they spend $13,071 in local revenue per pupil (no matter how many or how few or the area size of the district). We spend $3,171. Our medium household income is about 5%higher than Beachwood's. The question is how much does the medium household in both Beachwood and Pickerington pay in taxes (property & income in our case) in 2002 to support their schools? Assessed property valuations and millages vary tremendously per district, right?

While we should be very proud of our State of Ohio report card earning 27 out of 27, it really is the minimum requirement in assessing the quality of education. Some people emphasize it too much. What about our programs for students with special needs and/or gifted talents?

And, finally, one last question ... the Dispatch reported that Beachwood has never defeated a bond issue or an operating levy and they approved a 9.8 levy by a 72% in May. Is that true and can we say the same thing?

By Mark W. Uher

Mark, move to Beachwood

Mark,

Why don't you move to Beachwood and write us all back here about how great it is. This ad nauseum about how generous we are or they are is really a waste of our time and yours. Let's learn lessons about balanced development from them and move on.