March 23, 2026
From Mark Hensen,
Pickerington Board of Education Member
Recently, there’s been some negative commentary on social media about the upcoming PLSD income tax levy vote on 5 May. Some folks might think there’s a lot of resistance to it, but I’m confident that the criticism doesn’t represent the majority.
I believe most folks know how important the schools are to our community and, more importantly, how crucial it is to protect our students’ education and opportunities. This levy helps ensure that protection and those opportunities.
So, I’d like to ask everyone who believes in the levy to start using their voice and show their support. Talk to your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers. Host “meet & greets” in your home and invite our district superintendent (Charles_Smialek@plsd.us).
Share your thoughts on social media – Facebook, Instagram, X. Write letters to the editor to Pickeringtononline.com (editor@pickeringtononline.com) or the Columbus Dispatch (letters@dispatch.com).
Ask our other local elected officials – city, township, state legislature, etc – to share their views and support. Leaders are not silent on critical issues.
Our teachers teach our kids to use their words, their voices, to advocate for themselves. We need everyone in our community to start using their voices to advocate for the levy and our students.
For more info on the levy, visit the websites below.
https://www.plsd.us/district-financials
