Here Are The School Tax Issues You’ll See on Election Day
Theresa S. Thompson / Flickr
Tax issues are pretty important to Ohio’s schools.
While K-12 districts do receive money from both federal and state governments, many rely heavily on local funds to support a big chunk of their operating budgets.
While there are a handful of income tax requests this year, the majority comes from taxing the property of district residents. More than two-thirds of statewide property tax levies go to fund schools, according to the state.
Districts can ask voters to finance a variety of costs, including current expenses, facility improvements, and emergency requirements.
Collectively this fall, more than 145 school districts across the state will ask voters to approve 163 tax issues.
Before checking out our searchable statewide school tax issue database below, here are some important points to know about this year’s election:
- There are fewer tax issues. In 2013, the state’s voters decided on 194 school tax issues. In 2012, there were 193. This fall, there are 163 school issues.
Damon Asbury, the director for legislative services for the Ohio School Board Association, thinks that slight decline is a little weird.
“Typically, gubernatorial or presidential election cycles have more ballot issues than fewer,” he said. “So with respect to schools, it’s kind of an atypical pattern that there are fewer requests.”
- It’s tough to pass new requests for additional money. That’s been the case for several years–especially for rural schools. Voters have a tendency to approve renewal requests, but typically deny any issues that may cost them more money.
“Times are difficult for people,” said Asbury. “We still have a lot of unemployment, we still have a lot of underemployment in the state, money is tight. You have to make a very convincing case for a community to help them understand that yes, in fact, we do need more money.”
- Several of the “Big Eight” districts have levies on the ballot. Three of the state’s biggest urban districts (that’d be Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Akron, Canton, Toledo, and Dayton) are asking for more money. Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo all have issues on ballots.
- The average mill size ranges from three to six. According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, property tax rates are defined in mills. One mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of taxable income.
Asbury said this year’s average millage request ranges from three to six mills.
But there are a few districts asking for substantially more this year, including Ashland County’s Hillsdale Local (a renewal of 20.1 mills), Mahoning County’s Campbell City (a renewal of 14.4 mills), and Hamilton County’s Lockland Local (an addition of 11.2 mills).
You can see an expanded tax issue breakdown with millage rates on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, as well as searching our database below.
COUNTY | SCHOOL DISTRICT | SCHOOL ISSUE | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|---|
Allen | Elida Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Ashland | Hillsdale Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Ashland | Loudonville-Perrysville EVSD | Levy | Additional |
Ashland | Mapleton Local School District | Income tax | Additional |
Ashtabula | Ashtabula Area City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Ashtabula | Conneaut Area City School Distrct | Levy | Renewal |
Ashtabula | Grand Valley Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Ashtabula | Grand Valley Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Ashtabula | Jefferson Area Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Ashtabula | Pymatuning Valley Local School Dist | Levy | Renewal |
Belmont | Bridgeport Exempted Village SD | Levy | Renewal |
Belmont | Union Local School District | Income tax | Additional |
Brown | Ripley Union Lewis Huntington LSD | Levy | Additional |
Carroll | Brown Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Champaign | Urbana City School District | Bond | N/A |
Champaign | Graham Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Champaign | Mechanicsburg Ex Vill School Dist | Levy | Renewal |
Champaign | Triad Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Clark | Greenon Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Clark | Greenon Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Clark | Southeastern Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Clark | Tecumseh Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Clinton | Clinton-Massie Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Columbiana | East Liverpool City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Columbiana | Salem City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Columbiana | Southern Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Coshocton | River View Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Crawford | Crestline Exempted Village SD | Income tax | Additional |
Cuyahoga | North Olmsted City School District | Bond | N/A |
Cuyahoga | Cleveland Municipal School Dist. | Combo | Additional |
Cuyahoga | North Royalton City School District | Combo | Additional |
Cuyahoga | Bedford City School District | Levy | Additional |
Cuyahoga | Berea City School District | Levy | Additional |
Cuyahoga | Brecksville-Broadview Hts. City SD | Levy | Renewal |
Cuyahoga | Cuyahoga Community College | Levy | Renewal |
Cuyahoga | Garfield Hts City School District | Levy | Additional |
Darke | Franklin Monroe Local School Dist | Levy | Renewal |
Darke | Ansonia Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Darke | Arcanum Butler Local School Dist | Income tax | Renewal |
Defiance | Northeastern Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Delaware | Buckeye Valley Local School District | Bond | N/A |
Delaware | Delaware City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Erie | Sandusky City School District | Combo | Additional |
Erie | Huron City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Erie | Margaretta Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Fairfield | Walnut Twp Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Fairfield | Liberty Union-Thurston LSD | Income tax | Renewal |
Fayette | Miami Trace Local School District | Combo | Additional |
Franklin | Gahanna-Jefferson City School Dist | Levy | Additional |
Franklin | Grandview Heights City School Dist | Levy | Additional |
Franklin | New Albany-Plain Local School Dist | Levy | Additional |
Geauga | Ledgemont Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Geauga | Newbury Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Geauga | Berkshire Local School District | Income tax | Additional |
Geauga | Ledgemont Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Greene | Beavercreek City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Hamilton | Winton Woods City School District | Bond | N/A |
Hamilton | Forest Hills Local School District | Combo | Additional |
Hamilton | Cincinnati City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Hamilton | Lockland Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Hamilton | Mariemont City School District | Levy | Additional |
Hancock | Van Buren Local School District | Bond | N/A |
Hancock | Liberty-Benton Local School District | Combo | Additional |
Harrison | Conotton Valley Union LSD | Levy | Renewal |
Harrison | Conotton Valley Union LSD | Levy | Renewal |
Harrison | Harrison Hills City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Henry | Patrick Henry Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Highland | Bright Local School District | Income tax | Additional |
Huron | Monroeville Local School District | Combo | Additional |
Jefferson | Edison Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Jefferson | Toronto City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Knox | East Knox Local School District | Combo | Additional |
Lake | Fairport Harbor EVSD | Levy | Renewal |
Lake | Madison Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Lake | Willoughby-Eastlake CSD | Levy | Renewal |
Licking | Southwest Licking Local School Dist | Levy | Substitute |
Logan | Indian Lake Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Lorain | Keystone Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Lorain | Oberlin City School District | Levy | Additional |
Lorain | Sheffield-Sheffield Lake CSD | Levy | Additional |
Lucas | Maumee City School District | Levy | Additional |
Lucas | Oregon City School District | Levy | Additional |
Lucas | Springfield Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Lucas | Springfield Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Lucas | Toledo City School District | Levy | Additional |
Lucas | Washington Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Madison | London City School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Mahoning | Boardman Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Mahoning | Campbell City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Mahoning | Jackson Milton Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Mahoning | South Range Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Mahoning | Springfield Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Marion | Pleasant Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Marion | River Valley Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Marion | Tri-Rivers Jt. Vocational School Dist | Levy | Additional |
Mercer | Marion Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Miami | Bethel Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Miami | Miami East Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Miami | Milton-Union Ex Village School Dist | Levy | Renewal |
Miami | Bethel Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Miami | Covington Ex Village School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Monroe | Switzerland of Ohio Local SD | Income tax | Additional |
Montgomery | Brookville Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Montgomery | Brookville Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Montgomery | Huber Heights City School District | Levy | Additional |
Montgomery | Jefferson Twp Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Montgomery | Kettering City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Montgomery | Miamisburg City School District | Levy | Substitute |
Montgomery | Northmont City School Disitrict | Levy | Renewal |
Montgomery | New Lebanon Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Muskingum | Franklin Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Muskingum | Zanesville City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Ottawa | Genoa Area Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Perry | Southern Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Portage | Field Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Portage | Field Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Portage | Ravenna City School District | Levy | Additional |
Portage | Ravenna City School District | Levy | Additional |
Portage | Rootstown Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Portage | Streetsboro City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Portage | Streetsboro City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Portage | Windham Ex Village School District | Levy | Renewal |
Putnam | Columbus Grove Local School Dist | Income tax | Renewal |
Putnam | Fort Jennings Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Richland | Lucas Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Richland | Pioneer Jt. Vocational School Dist | Levy | Replacement |
Ross | Zane Trace Local School District | Income tax | Additional |
Sandusky | Woodmore Local School District | Bond | N/A |
Sandusky | Bellevue City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Sandusky | Clyde-Green Springs Ex Village SD | Levy | Renewal |
Sandusky | Gibsonburg Ex Village School District | Levy | Renewal |
Shelby | Jackson Center Local School Dist | Combo | Additional |
Shelby | Anna Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Stark | Massillon City School District | Bond | N/A |
Stark | Fairless Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Stark | Marlington Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Stark | Osnaburg Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Stark | Tuslaw Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Stark | Northwest Local School District | Income tax | Renewal |
Summit | Coventry Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Summit | Cuyahoga Falls City School District | Levy | Renewal |
Summit | Mogadore Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Summit | Springfield Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Summit | Springfield Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Summit | Springfield Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Lakeview Local School District | Combo | Additional |
Trumbull | Bloomfield-Mespo Local School Dis | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Bristol Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Bristol Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Howland Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Lordstown Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Trumbull | McDonald Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Trumbull | Mathews Local School Distrct | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Southington Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Trumbull | Trumbull Career & Tech Center | Levy | Renewal |
Tuscarawas | New Philadelphia City School Dist | Levy | Renewal |
Tuscarawas | Newcomerstown Ex Village SD | Levy | Renewal |
Warren | Warren Co Jt Voca School District | Levy | Replacement |
Washington | Frontier Local School District | Levy | Additional |
Wayne | Southeast Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Williams | Edon Northwest Local School Dist | Levy | Renewal |
Wood | Perrysburg Ex Village School Dist | Bond | N/A |
Wood | Lake Local School District | Levy | Renewal |
Wood | Rossford Ex Village School District | Levy | Additional |
Source: Ohio Secretary of State’s office