The Growing Pains of the Bethel Local Schools
Residential growth may tap out local educational resources
Earlier this month, the Huber Heights City Council held a town hall meeting primarily focused on the proposed 300-acre annexation, colloquially known as “Carriage Trails 2.0.” This proposed annexation would continue Huber’s northward expansion along the western side of State Route 201, ending at the doorstep of the small settlement of Brandt. A video of the nearly four-hour meeting, featuring numerous speakers, is available on the Huber Heights city website.
The meeting was well-attended, mostly by individuals from Bethel Township, who pleaded with the City Council to halt the annexation. The city council, guided by a recently commissioned due diligence report completed by city bureaucrats, unsurprisingly found the annexation to be in the best interest of the city. It's rare for a city to view a proposed annexation negatively.
Bethel Township residents expressed concerns that the newly annexed lands would be developed for residential use, which they argued would overburden the school district and dramatically alter the community culture. In response, the city’s mayor acknowledged the district's growth. From the 2003-2004 school year to the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment nearly doubled from 944 to 1,848 students. The mayor argued that while adding 900 students over twenty years is significant, it translates to only 47 students per year, or fewer than four additional students per grade annually.
However, the mayor failed to mention that most of the district’s growth occurred in the last decade. Between the 2003-2004 and 2013-2014 school years, the district's enrollment grew by only four students. All the significant growth happened in the last nine years, with the largest increase of 164 students occurring between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years. For context, 103 students graduated in 2023.
The growing student population also reflects a notable trend: an increasing number of students do not speak English as their first language. The Bethel Local Schools website offers translations in Spanish, Turkish, Russian, and Ukrainian, indicating the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the students and their families.
From the 2009-2010 school year to the 2022-2023 school year, the percentage of English Language Learners (ELL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) students rose from 0.0% to 16.3%. Over a student's academic journey from Kindergarten to Graduation, the district transitioned from having no ELL/ESL students to an environment where one in six students is learning English as a second language—a substantial change in a short period.
The data also shows a dramatic increase in the percentage of students classified as “economically disadvantaged.” Although the district's data does not precisely define this term, it reports that the percentage of economically disadvantaged students grew from 3.3% in the 2003-2004 academic year to 25.6% in the 2022-2023 academic year.
When Bethel Township residents voiced their concerns at the Huber Heights City Council meeting, they highlighted issues about culture and change. While many residents couldn’t quite succinctly articulate what that meant; these data sets demonstrate these significant issues. Township residents recognize that their rural district is growing too quickly to effectively and efficiently manage these challenges.
While it's unfair to blame Huber Heights for all the changes in the Bethel Local Schools, it's clear that Huber Heights is following a common growth trajectory that most cities take. However, Huber Heights may not see Bethel as part of its community or as a partner in future progress. The perception that Bethel Local School District offers a better educational option than Huber Heights City School District has driven residential growth in the area. It seems Huber Heights might be exploiting Bethel’s strengths rather than supporting its continued attractiveness as a school district. One is left to wonder that if the Huber Heights City Schools faced similar increases in ESL/ELL or economically disadvantaged students, it's likely the Huber Heights City Council would be more open to discussions on these issues
School districts play a crucial role in defining a community, often more so than townships, cities, or villages. Huber Heights would benefit from recognizing this. On any given Friday night, I doubt I would find anyone south of Interstate 70 on the home side of the football field or basketball court rooting on the Bethel Bees; rather, we would see a community full of Bethel residents fill the stands. That is community, especially in a rural context.
Huber Heights and Bethel Local Schools, are in a unique relationship that looks like more like a forced marriage rather than a swoon worthy romance. The schools are mandated to serve those children that will come to its doorstep or its school buses each and every day the bell rings. The city has the obligation to serve their residents, no matter what age they are. It is in the best interest of both parties to work together for the benefit of those who learn and live in the district It hasn’t happened yet and, honestly, the future doesn’t look hopeful.
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