Economic development officials face a double-edged sword when it comes to attracting new businesses: Lose companies and their jobs to others or offer tax abatements that can mortgage the future.

The Green School District in Franklin Furnace is feeling the effects of this quandary right now. And ultimately it is the students who will suffer.

Tuesday’s election in the Scioto County township shows the flaw with the current system that the state has in place. It allows economic development officials to offer massive tax abatements to attract the much-needed and vital business and industry. But the problem is that these businesses and the property taxes they would normally pay provides a significant amount of the revenue for schools in that district.

Take that money away, often for many years, and you will be in the dilemma that the Green district is facing.

Voters overwhelmingly defeated a nearly 8-mil levy Tuesday, meaning the district will face almost a half million-dollar deficit by the end of its fiscal year.

And while it is easy to argue that the district can do more to tighten its belt, it is even easier to make the case that the schools are outdated and not providing the students with the same opportunities as others in Ohio.

In fact, Green Primary School was closed two weeks ago because it was determined to be structurally unsafe.

Under the state’s current school construction funding system, local districts must generate about 55 percent of the costs. But when the bulk of the business and industry in that district has been given huge tax breaks that puts an unrealistic burden on taxpayers.

State leaders must look at this system and implement measures that would take these special circumstances under consideration.

Counties shouldn’t have to sacrifice one bright future while building for another.