Author: Stacie Raterman

HB 335 is a sweeping property tax reform bill that combines elements from several prior proposals (HB 129, HB 186, and HB 309). It would fundamentally change how property taxes are levied, limited, and allocated in Ohio, with devastating implications for public school districts. This is a critical time for community advocacy to help protect stable, voter-approved revenue.

You can click the links to find Information and FAQ’s, which are designed to help community members understand the financial, operational, and legal implications of HB 335 and actively advocate to protect Ohio’s public education system and the full HB335 Testimony from Hilliard Schools to the House Ways and Means Committee by Treasurer Melissa Swearingen and Superintendent David Stewart.

Next Steps: The provisions in this bill could be added to the budget bill during the conference committee process. It is crucial that legislators hear from you as soon as possible.  Please reach out to the following committee members to make your voice heard.  (There is a sample script below.)

Our children’s future and our community’s economic health depend on maintaining strong schools.  Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Melissa Swearingen, Hilliard City Schools Treasurer, and David Stewart, Hilliard City Schools Superintendent

 

Sample Message to send:

Subject: HB 335 Threatens Hilliard City Schools and Property Values

Dear (INSERT LEGISLATOR’S NAME),

As a [parent/resident/business owner] in the Hilliard City Schools, I’m deeply concerned about House Bill 335, which threatens to devastate our local schools and economic future.

HB 335, misleadingly called the “Property Tax Relief NOW Act,” would eliminate over $1.5 billion in school funding statewide with no replacement funding. In Hilliard, this means approximately $20.8 million, or 260 teachers could lose their jobs, and programs could be eliminated.

This isn’t real property tax relief; it’s a shell game that temporarily reduces tax bills while destroying the school quality that drives property values. No family wants to buy a home in a district that has just eliminated art, music, and sports programs.

We support targeted relief for families who genuinely struggle with property taxes. Senate Bill 22 is a property tax circuit breaker that does exactly that, helping households while protecting school quality. That’s smart policy that builds strong communities.

I urge you to oppose HB 335 and support real solutions like SB 22. Our children, our community, and our economic future depend on it.

Sincerely,

[Your name, and your title/credentials if relevant]

 

Who to Contact:

 

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE:

 

Rep. Bill Roemer, Chair       rep31@ohiohouse.gov         (614) 644-5085

Rep. David Thomas, Vice Chair  Rep65@ohiohouse.gov   (614) 466-3488

Rep. Daniel Troy, Ranking Member  rep23@ohiohouse.gov    (614) 466-7251

Rep. Gary Click        rep88@ohiohouse.gov        (614) 466-1374

Rep. Jack Daniels    rep32@ohiohouse.gov     (614) 466-1790

Rep. Steve Demetriou  rep35@ohiohouse.gov     (614) 644-5088

Rep. Derrick Hall   rep34@ohiohouse.gov   (614) 466-1177

Rep. Beth Lear rep61@ohiohouse.gov  (614) 466-1431

Rep. Tracy Richardson   rep86@ohiohouse.gov    (614) 466-8147

Rep. Elgin Rogers, Jr.     Rep42@ohiohouse.gov      (614) 466-1401

Rep. Nick Santucci   rep64@ohiohouse.gov          (614) 466-5441

Rep. Mark Sigrist      rep10@ohiohouse.gov            (614) 466-9690

Rep. Jim Thomas       rep49@ohiohouse.gov         (614) 466-8030

 

There will be no school on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to inclement weather.

All middle school and elementary activities are canceled. The high schools will make a decision later in the day on any activities. The SACC programs are closed as well.

To prepare all students without exception to be Ready for Tomorrow, we must create authentic partnerships with our community.  We want to hear your ideas, thoughts, and opinions about how your schools should approach a changing landscape. That’s why the Hilliard Board of Education created the Community Conversation Program.

How we educate students is changing rapidly.  There are many choices about how schools will look and work as we move forward. These decisions need to be made as a community and with the consideration of many different voices.  We need to understand our residents and build a better relationship between the school district and the community. This demands a different kind of conversation. Sometimes, that will mean reaching out to a specific group in our community. Other times, it means defining an issue or topic that demands community input.  There will be board members and district administrators at each conversation.

These will happen quarterly.

• Tuesday, March 7 – 5:30 pm at the Hub (3859 Main Street, Hilliard)
• Tuesday, June 13 – 9 am at the Hub
• Tuesday, September 5 – 5:30 pm at the Hub
• Tuesday, December 5 – 9 am at Central Office (2140 Atlas Street, Columbus)

Please join us to share your voice.

As you have heard, the Ohio Department of Education recently released the Ohio School Report Cards for the 2022-23 school year.  We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about one of the components of the report card:  Progress.  The Progress Component is based 100% on the district’s value-added score.

The value-added score is made up of two components:  overall growth index and effect size.  I am pleased to report that, according to the Ohio Department of Education, Hilliard City Schools was ranked #1 out of 607 public school districts on the overall growth index and #15 out of 607 districts on effect size.

Value-added looks closely at the growth all students are making based on their past state test performances.  In short, value-added measures how much our district’s teachers grow student performance, regardless of where students start, over the course of a year’s time.  It is a true representation of our commitment to every student, without exception.

The Progress Component (based 100% on value-added) measures the academic performance of students compared to expected growth on Ohio’s State Tests. This calculation uses a “value-added” model of measuring academic growth that compares the change in the achievement of a group of students to an expected amount of change in achievement that is based on the students’ prior achievement history.

I want to congratulate every employee and every student of the Hilliard City Schools for this achievement.  This is a testament to their hard work and dedication to being Ready for Tomorrow.

David Stewart – Superintendent

 

The Ohio Department of Education recently released the Ohio School Report Cards for the 2022-2023 school year. We are pleased to announce that Hilliard City Schools continues to make positive gains in our goal of ensuring that every student, without exception, is Ready for Tomorrow. 

One change in this year’s report card is the inclusion of an “Overall” rating.  The Overall rating is out of 5 possible stars, in increments of .5 stars.  The Ohio Department of Education has clarified that an overall rating of at least 3 stars indicates that a district or school has met state standards. We are proud to share that Hilliard City Schools has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars, affirming our commitment to academic excellence.

We are particularly delighted to have received 5 stars in Progress and Gap Closing. Progress measures the growth made by all our students based on their past performance, reflecting our dedication to continuous improvement. The Gap Closing component evaluates our efforts in reducing educational disparities among student subgroups, emphasizing our commitment to equity and inclusivity.

In the category of Achievement, Hilliard City Schools received four stars. This component assesses student performance on state tests.  Within this component, we are also excited to share that our Performance Index Score, which is a measure of all tests taken by all students, continues to increase as well.

Hilliard City Schools received three stars in both Graduation and Early Literacy, which indicates that the district is meeting state standards. Graduation evaluates the percentage of students who graduate with a regular or honors diploma, while the Early Literacy component assesses reading improvement and proficiency levels in grades K-3. These areas will be a focal point for our continued improvement efforts.  Specific to the Early Literacy component, this year, we launched new K-12 English Language Arts Curriculums. The Wit and Wisdom program is the new resource that our professionals chose to support this new curriculum.  It is designed for our younger learners and will empower students to read challenging texts, write effectively, and speak clearly and logically. We believe these initiatives will lead to even greater gains across our district.

At Hilliard City Schools, our vision is to Embrace, Empower, and Inspire students, families, and the community through an active partnership.  While we will never be defined solely by state test scores or local report card results, we are pleased to celebrate the success of our teachers and students.  While we recognize that there is always more work to be done, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our parents, students, staff, and community members for their unwavering support and the work that went into this success. Together, we will continue to raise the bar for educational excellence in Hilliard for every student, without exception.

Superintendent David Stewart