| South-Western City School District | |
|---|---|
| Type and location | |
| Type | Public-Suburban |
| Grades | PK-12 |
| Region | Midwest |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Grove City, Ohio |
| District Info | |
| Superintendent | Dr. Bill Wise |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 21,000 approx. |
| Athletic Conference | Ohio Capital Conference |
| Colors | blue and green |
| Other information | |
| Website | South-Western Schools |
The South-Western City School District is Ohio's sixth largest public school district located southwest of the city of Columbus. The district serves nearly 20,000 students throughout the southwest quadrant of Franklin County, including the cities of Galloway, Georgesville, Grove City, and Urbancrest. The district also serves all of Franklin, Jackson, Pleasant, and Prairie townships and a portion of Columbus.
The district operates 16 elementary schools, five intermediate schools, five middle schools, four high schools, and a career academy.
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SWCS has always had issues with funding. While they passed a property-tax school levy on their third try in May 2005, a drop in funding from the state as well as other factors such as a spike in gas prices forced the school district to make more than 14 million dollars in reductions after passing the levy. In November 2006 they attempted to pass another levy, a 1% income tax, it was defeated. Fortunately, due to a relatively warm winter and several other items, they only needed to cut one million dollars out of the following year's budget. They decided not to try to pass a levy in May 2007 in hopes that the state budget, re-done in summer of 2007, would provide more funding. The district was again on the ballot November 2008 for additional operating expenses and an Ohio School Facilities Commission building project with the state offering nearly $206 million in tobacco settlement funds to the district and again this bond issue and levy was defeated and the Ohio School Facilities Commission Funding is no longer available. The school board voted in February 2009 to cut all extra-curricular activities and high school busing as well as additional positions in order to shrink the district budget. The district went back on the ballot for another operating levy in May 2009 and again in August 2009 in hopes to reinstate these programs. Both attempts failed and the district started the 2009-2010 school year with no extra-curricular activities, high school busing, etc.
With a projected deficit for the 2009-2010 school year, another levy attempt was made for November 2009. Known as Issue 47, it was the last attempt for increased tax revenues in calendar year 2010 and the possible reinstatment of some extra-curricular activities for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year. Without the passage of this levy, the district would not have been able to collect additional tax revenues in 2010 and would have continued to fall deeper into a deficit. The issue passed with 19,579 (50.58%) for to 19,130 (49.42%) against via the preliminary count results.
The School Board members are:
Karen Dover
Cathy Johnson
Mindy Garverick
Jo Ellen Myers
Randy Reisling