UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio — Upper Arlington voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve Issue 7, a property-tax measure combining money for district operations with funding to rebuild or renovate three schools. The proposal includes a 4.9-mill operating levy and a $273.5 million bond issue. The operating levy would support instruction, staffing, student services and other ongoing expenses. Bond money would pay for construction and other capital improvements at Hastings and Jones middle schools, Burbank Early Childhood School and Upper Arlington High School. The district estimates the measure would cost about $250 a year for every $100,000 of a home’s appraised value — approximately $1,250 annually, or $105 a month, for a home appraised at $500,000. That figure is based on the county auditor’s appraised value, which can differ from a home’s sale price. The district says the bond component would be collected at 2.25 mills above its current bond rate, while the bond issue itself is listed at an estimated 4.84 mills. Bond repayment could extend up to 38 years; the operating levy would continue indefinitely. At Hastings, plans call for a three-story school on the current stadium site, with a stadium complex and practice field, including synthetic turf, along Reed Road. At Jones, the original three-story section built in 1923 would be preserved and renovated for offices, while the rest of the school would be replaced with classrooms, a gym, auditorium and cafeteria. The athletic complex would also include a synthetic-turf field. Burbank would be replaced by a two-story building on the northwest part of its campus, now occupied by the north parking lot. The plan includes more classrooms and retains the existing outdoor play area. At the high school, a third-floor addition above district offices and music rooms would temporarily accommodate Jones students in grades 7 and 8 during construction, then remain available for district use. The district expects construction at the three schools to begin in spring or summer 2028. Burbank students would remain in their current building during construction, with the new school expected to open in late summer or early fall 2029. Hastings students would also stay in place while a new school is built elsewhere on campus; that building is expected to open in fall 2030. Jones students would relocate during construction. Seventh- and eighth-graders would use the high school addition, while sixth-graders would attend modular classrooms outside Tremont Elementary. The rebuilt Jones is expected to be completed during winter 2030-31. The district says the work is the second stage of a facilities plan launched in 2015, which previously delivered a new high school and five new or renovated elementary schools. Assessments completed in fall 2024 put the cost of keeping Hastings, Jones and Burbank safe, dry and secure at $124.8 million. The district says major plumbing, electrical, mechanical and other systems are nearing the end of their useful lives despite ongoing maintenance. The school board voted unanimously in June to put Issue 7 on the ballot. The district last won voter approval for an operating levy in 2022 and says it delayed its expected return to voters by a year, but expenses are now increasing faster than revenue. Under Ohio House Bill 920, rising property values generally reduce tax rates on many existing voted levies so collections from existing property remain roughly level. The district says about 96% of its revenue is fixed or has little room to grow. If the measure fails, the district says it would have to reconsider staffing, class sizes and programs. It would also still face repairs at the three schools, which it says would have to be paid from operating funds, leaving less available for employees and education programs.