Upper Arlington voters can hear directly from district leaders about Issue 7, the combined operating levy and $273.5 million bond issue on the Nov. 3 ballot, at two upcoming Coffee & Conversation sessions.

The series returns for a third year with its first two sessions focused squarely on the ballot measure, according to a district announcement. The Sept. 18 session covers school funding and the operating levy. The Oct. 23 session tackles the facilities master plan and swing space. Both run from 9 to 10 a.m. in the fifth-floor ballroom of the Bob Crane Community Center, 3200 Tremont Road.

Issue 7 pairs a 4.9-mill operating levy to maintain current academic programs with a $273.5 million bond issue to fund the second phase of the district's facilities master plan, according to the district's Issue 7 page. For a home appraised at $500,000, the combined cost would be roughly $1,250 per year, or about $105 per month, according to the Franklin County Auditor.

The bond would fund rebuilding Hastings Middle School, renovating the original 1923 portion of Jones Middle School, and rebuilding and expanding Burbank Early Childhood School. Third-party assessments conducted in fall 2024 estimated it would cost $124.8 million just to repair and maintain those three buildings without any educational improvements, according to the district's Issue 7 page.

The board of education unanimously approved placing Issue 7 on the ballot after more than two years of community engagement and more than 8,500 stakeholder touchpoints.

"There is no zero-cost option," Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Geistfeld said in the district's Aug. 20 announcement of Issue 7. "The district will need to make significant investments in the needs of Hastings, Jones and Burbank in the immediate future."

The district last passed an operating levy in fall 2022 and stretched it an extra year. Expenditures are beginning to outpace revenue, according to an update at the board's Aug. 18 meeting.

Beyond Coffee & Conversation, the district is hosting "Meet, Play & Learn About Issue 7" events at all five elementary schools in September:

• Tremont Elementary, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Barrington Elementary, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Wickliffe Progressive Elementary, Monday, Sept. 7, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Windermere Elementary, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2 to 3 p.m.
• Greensview Elementary, Sunday, Sept. 13, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Guided building tours of Hastings, Jones and Burbank are scheduled for 6 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23 and Thursday, Oct. 8.