Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Pickerington North's Jayden Preece (22) runs the ball against Pickerington Central in the first half of the OHSAA football game at Pickerington Central High School on Sept. 4, 2026 in Pickerington, Ohio.
One of the top high school football programs in Ohio is facing an existential threat after Pickerington Local Schools announced that it was suspending all non-varsity sports and several other extracurricular activities as a result of a recent local election result.
The cash-strapped district made the announcement after a 0.75% income tax levy proposal failed by around 250 votes – less than 1% of all votes cast, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Pickerington Central won Ohio Division I state championships in both 2017 and 2019 ajd is a 27-time playoff qualifier. The school also produced five current NFL players, including 2026 Washington Commanders first-round draft pick Sonny Styles.
Meanwhile, Pickerington North graduate Jack Sawyer, a former five-star recruit who played at Ohio State, currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While the district will continue to sponsor varsity sports for the time being, superintendent Charles Smialek knows the likely outcome of cutting JV programs.
“You’re not going to field high-quality varsity teams if you don’t have your own feeder system,” Smialek said. “We don’t want to take that step back, and that’s why we’re going to try and make this as short-term as we can.”
Ohio High School Has Been A Powerhouse In Multiple Sports
It’s not just the football program that stands to suffer from these cuts.
The Pickering Central girls basketball program has won eight state championships in its history, including one in 2025. The program has reached the Division I state tournament four years in a row.
Meanwhile, the boys program has made six trips to the state tournament over the past 14 years, including championships in 2012 and 2022.
“Our focus must remain on providing the best possible educational opportunities for our students while being responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us,” school board president Cathy Olshefski said of the decision to cut athletics.
This marks the second time in the last year the proposed tax levy has failed, with it doing so by a large margin in May.
“We understand the value of extracurriculars; we understand the experiences they create. It’s difficult,” Smialek told said of the cuts. “These are among the harder decisions most of us have ever had to take.”