Joint Meeting of Delaware City Council and Buckeye Valley Schools – October 5, 2026

The Delaware City Council and Buckeye Valley Local School District Board of Education held a joint meeting on October 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting focused on updates from the school district and the city, including current and future development projects, utility infrastructure, and the importance of communication between the entities. Key topics included the impact of annexations and development on school funding, utility capacity constraints, and transportation planning.

Buckeye Valley Local School District Update

• Dr. Strangers and other district representatives gave an overview of the district, highlighting its five-star rating, high standards, and award-winning teachers. They noted that the district is adding onto the middle school to accommodate fifth graders and addressing capacity constraints.
• In response to questions, the district stated that the two elementary schools are expected to be stable from a facility capacity standpoint, though future growth is uncertain. They also discussed the challenge of losing tax revenue from annexations, noting that 80% of school funding comes from local property and income taxes, with less than 2% from business revenue.
• School board members expressed a desire for a seat at the table when annexation and development decisions are made, emphasizing that transparency and early dialogue help the district plan for facility needs, such as a future new high school.

City of Delaware Update

• Development Update (Anna Kelsey, Planning and Zoning Administrator) : The city is experiencing major growth, with approximately 7,800 units in the development pipeline, 1,500 under construction, and 2,400 fully approved (as of July 2026). Most housing growth is in the Delaware City and Olentangy school districts. Projects directly impacting Buckeye Valley include:
  • Northwood Subdivision: Mixed residential; 800 multi-family units (360 under construction, remainder preliminary) and 360 single-family units, roughly split 50-50 between Buckeye Valley and Delaware City schools. The section in Buckeye Valley is primarily multi-family.
  • Price Farms: Over 3,000 units on the northwest side; about 50% in Buckeye Valley. Annexation recently approved; construction not expected for at least 10 years due to utility constraints.
  • Nether Farms Residential: Preliminary plans for up to 252 multi-family units east of Seattle House apartments.
  • Meradell Project: Commercial mixed-use development on US 42 and Sawmill Road, including a hockey arena, amphitheater, hotels, and retail.
• Kelsey stated the city is working to bring in commercial and industrial development to benefit both the city and schools. She offered to share the housing pipeline report broken down by school district.
• Engineering Update (Jonathan Owen, City Engineer) :
  • Utility service boundaries (approved by Ohio EPA) limit where water and sewer can be extended. A major sewer interceptor project (East Olentangy Interceptor) is planned for 2028–2030, which is needed before significant development can occur in the northern utility service area (e.g., Price Farms).
  • Thoroughfare plan includes major roadway improvements: extending Merrick Boulevard west, connecting Bixby Parkway to US 23, and eventually widening US 42 to four lanes (first phase in 2032).
  • The city uses TIF revenues for major road improvements but limits TIF eligibility; non-school TIFs are preferred. An incentives policy with a grading rubric includes school impacts.

Discussion Items

• Annexation and School Impact: School board members raised concerns that developers often discuss annexation plans without consulting the schools, leading to sudden enrollment increases and loss of tax revenue. They urged the city to include the district in early conversations. City council members and staff acknowledged the need for transparency, noting that most annexation discussions start with developers before reaching council. The city's comprehensive incentive policy now includes school impact considerations.
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) : The district expressed a desire for schools to be prioritized in TIF agreements, noting that most school funding comes from residential and agricultural taxes. City staff clarified that the Northwood TIF is intentionally non-school and that the city often starts with a no-TIF approach for single-family developments, using TIF only for infrastructure benefiting entire corridors.
• Transportation and Utilities: Discussion covered how state highway projects (e.g., 23 Connect, a 23-71 connector) could affect local thoroughfare planning. The city is updating its thoroughfare plan and considering dropping the long-standing northeast bypass element. Utility extensions are development-driven, requiring major sewer improvements before large-scale northern development.

Key Outcomes

• The city will provide the Buckeye Valley School District with a link to the comprehensive plan and share the housing pipeline report (broken down by school district) on a regular basis.
• Slides from the city's presentation will be shared in PDF format with the school district.
• Council and the school board agreed to continue joint meetings and improve communication on development and annexation matters. The meeting adjourned after further discussion.