2026 Redistricting
Redistricting was paused in October, 2025 to “Ensure our next steps reflect a shared understanding and purpose, and a unified direction.”
Community Feedback
Community feedback obtained through focus groups and surveys will be used by the Board to help determine the criteria that will guide future boundary decisions. No maps have been created and no boundary decisions have been made to date. Final decisions are anticipated later this fall to allow time for scheduling and planning.
The results of both the focus groups and the scientific poll will be presented publicly during a special Board meeting scheduled for March 23 at 6:00 p.m. Planning NEXT will share the themes and insights gathered during the focus groups, while Fallon Research will present findings from the random sample survey.
FOCUS GROUPS:
Focus groups, facilitated by Planning Next, were held March 2–10. Participants were randomly selected from engagement group rosters and public participation lists to form small groups of approximately eight to ten individuals, enabling meaningful discussion. During the sessions, participants provide feedback anonymously via a worksheet and an online polling application called Mentimeter, allowing candid, real-time responses.
Focus Group Invite List Data:
16% Business Leaders (48)
31% Teachers/Admins (89)
12% Community Members with NO kids (36)
41% Parents (118)
Of the 291 total persons on the invite list, 164 (56%) participated in the prior focus groups.
154 people were grouped as community members (Members that are NOT Parents & Seniors) and all of the parent's group. Of those 154 people, 100 of those person’s addresses were located.
Of those 100 people:
14% (14 people) live on the East side of the River
86% (86) live on the West side of the River
When looking at JUST community members with no kids + the community cross section groups on the West side of the river:
82% (47) live north of 161
18% (10) live south of 161
23 of the 100 persons reside in the Bailey Elementary school boundaries.
In 2024, Planning NEXT facilitated focus groups to determine how to address the growth of the district. How did we get here. Emails were sent to district residents to gather participants for these focus groups in addition to social media posts.
FALLON RESEARCH:
The district has partnered with Fallon Research to conduct a scientific community survey.
Using data supplied by the district, the parent study will be comprised of a combined total of approximately 300 to 400 SMS/text-to-web surveys (+/- 5.65 to 4.9 percent overall estimated margin of sampling error) among district school parents, which will cost $9,000. The study will include an interview schedule (survey instrument) comprised of approximately 10 to 20 closed ended questions (datapoints), including demographic questions.
Texts of the survey started early on Monday the 9th, but the text appeared to be SPAM and many people deleted it. A second survey was set via text later in the afternoon, looking a little more official, but this second survey had a different set of questions than the first. Only 5 of the questions were the same between the two surveys.
Per the contract, there will also be telephone interviews.
The public study will be comprised of a combined total of 400 telephone interviews and SMS/text-to-web surveys (+/- 4.9 percent overall estimated margin of sampling error) among adults 18 years of age and older residing within the Dublin City School District of Ohio, which will cost $21,000. The study will include an interview schedule (survey instrument) comprised of approximately 25 closed-ended questions (datapoints), including demographic questions, and, possibly, one open-ended question.
February 23, 2026 Board Meeting
This board meetings primary focus was the Financial Outlook of the district but redistricting was discussed. Dr. M said that persons submitting public records requests are harassing the district and that he has taken to phone conversations with Planning NEXT to circumvent public records request. This goes against Ohio Law (ORC 149.43) that is in place to make all public bodies open to the people they serve. The lack of transparency and trust continues. (Time 7:35 in the recording)
An additional retreat has been added for March 16th to discuss board norms and Journey 2030. An additional board meeting has been added for March 23rd when Planning NEXT will review focus group results and the Fallon data. He did say that the timeline between April and October can be adjusted, with the only firm date being October 26th when a map is approved.
February 9, 2026 Planning NEXT Board Retreat
On February 9, school board members participated in their annual kick off retreat. Planning NEXT facilitated the 2 hour retreat where they led discussions with Board members to develop a shared understanding of Board Policy 5120, which outlines the factors to be considered when assigning students to schools. Board members reviewed those policy factors, discussed how they might be interpreted in Dublin, and began identifying potential considerations for evaluation by focus groups.
Planning NEXT shared that the objective of the project’s first phase is to establish the considerations and priorities that should guide redistricting decisions before any maps are developed. During the previous redistricting effort, the guiding criteria often competed with one another, making it difficult to balance priorities when developing draft maps. This time, the goal is to clearly prioritize the criteria before any maps are created, identifying what factors are most important to the community and where there may be flexibility or tradeoffs during map development. Establishing those priorities early will help ensure the mapmaking process is more transparent and aligned with community expectations.
Purpose and Process as defined by Dr. Marchaussen and Planning NEXT. Setting guiding criteria is contradictory to previous communications.
No discussion of amending policy 5120 and continuing to allow the superintendent full control of redistricting.
While the board was provided some legal guidance of what criteria cannot be used in the districting process, data points that can be used to determine redistricting has not been discussed.