Columbus State Community College leaders don't have a timeline for when Franklin County residents might see a property tax levy on a future ballot.
Columbus State President David Harrison told The Dispatch that there is "no immediate plan" to bring a different version of the levy before the college's board of trustees.
"We are a partner-first institution," Harrison said Aug. 3. "It just made sense that we pause and move forward as a community."
The community college announced on July 29 that, "after careful consideration," it would not move forward with a levy on the November ballot. Columbus State administrators had been proposing a 10-year, 1.9-mill levy that would generate $95 million annually and would have been used largely to offer free tuition
to Franklin County high school graduates.
The levy plan was initially tabled on July 23, about a week after the college received significant pushback from local leaders, including former Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce. Coleman said Columbus State should "put the brakes" on the proposed levy and get more community feedback before going to the ballot.
Harrison previously said that the decision would give the school time to consider options. He floated the possibility of a July 29 special board meeting to reconsider placing it on the ballot, but the college ultimately chose to spike the plan altogether.
Postponing the issue past 2026 could jeopardize the Columbus Promise, a last-dollar scholarship program for Columbus City Schools graduates spearheaded by Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin to help them attain an associate degree at Columbus State.
Columbus Promise, which is funded through the city and private philanthropy, has been extended through the high school graduating class of 2027, but does not have continued funding for future classes. City leaders launched a campaign last February to fund the next phase of the program.
Harrison said the college has funding set aside for next year's cohort, but he said he hopes "elected officials come together around this."
"There are a lot of community priorities to balance," Harrison said. "I don't have an idea on the order of operations."
Harrison said a debt-free path to higher education will continue to be the college's focus in the meantime.
"A good job solves a lot of problems," he said. "No one disputes that."
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus State dropped plans for free tuition levy. What's next?
