Columbus City Schools Proposes Lottery System Changes, Community Engagement sessions toโ Address $50 Million Budget Gap
Columbus, OH – October 21, 2025 โ- Columbusโข City Schoolsโ is considering meaningful changes โคto itsโ student lottery system as part of a broader effort โto address a โขprojected budget shortfall that โคcould deplete district funds by fiscal yearโ 2029. A proposal discussed at an Oct. 16 joint โcommittee meeting could eliminate transportation for some students attendingโ fully-lottery schools, potentially impacting over 2,000 students and saving the district an estimatedโ $8.7 million, according to administrators. The proposal requires โapproval from the full CCS Board of Education โฃat a future, yet-to-be-scheduled meeting.
The district currently operates 11 fully-lottery schools.The proposed โขchanges come asโ CCS โfaces mounting financial pressures, including a โrecent reduction in โstate funding, uncertainty surrounding federal funding, and the impact of inflation.
Addingโค to the financial strain is a growing penalty from the state related to the transportation of charter and nonpublic โฃstudents.the penalty is โคprojected to be $10 million in fiscal year 2025 and increase to $15 million annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2029.
Despite these challenges,โฃ the district โฃcurrently holds over โข$300 million in reserve โcash. Voters approved a $100 million levy in 2023, but Superintendent โChapman noted that only $38 million of that funding went into the district’s operating fund, with the remainderโค allocated to โa permanent enhancement fund.
The district recently approved a new โthree-year contract with theโฃ Columbusโ Education Association, representingโข teachersโ and faculty, which includes 2.25% raises for union members. Personnel โคcosts currentlyโข comprise over โฃ83% of the district’s โbudget.
How toโ Stay Informed & Participate:
The CCS Boardโค ofโข Education is โฃholding its regular meeting tonight, october 21, at 6 p.m. The oct.โ 16 joint committee meeting will โขbe discussed. Meetings are livestreamed on โthe board’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@columbuscityschoolsboe8345 โ and are open to the public at 3700 S. Highโ St.
The district is also planning three community engagement sessions, all begining at 6 p.m.:
* October 27โ at South High School
* october 28 at West High school
* October 29 at Mifflin High School