Every local district in Central Ohio receives more from the state than New Albany-Plain Local Schools. If New Albany wants to continue investing to maintain the average cost per pupil, the residents have to support it locally.
Why are New Albany-Plain Local School District residents responsible for such a large share of the district's funding?
The average school district in Ohio receives approximately 44% of their funding from the state of Ohio; however, our district only receives approximately 14% of its funding from the state. In fact, the $791 per pupil that we receive from the state is less than what even private schools are guaranteed - $1,325 per student. Overall, New Albany-Plain Local Schools receives less than a third of the state support than we should receive according to Ohio's own funding formula.
This occurs because the New Albany community is considered high-wealth and, therefore, its schools do not receive the same level of outside assistance as less wealthy areas. Additionally, the district has experienced explosive growth over the past fifteen years - growing from 1,693 students in 1999 to 5,071 students this school year. Despite this 300% increase in our student population, our revenue from the state has only increased by 36%. That places the burden of educating our students firmly on the shoulder of local taxpayers.
