In July, Ohio House Republicans voted 61 to 28 to overturn DeWine’s veto of the measure that prohibits the use of those certain levies. They needed 60 of the 99 House members to succeed.
In his veto message, DeWine announced the formation of a new working group that has been tasked with recommending meaningful property tax reforms by the end of September.
Clark-Shawnee, Greenon, Northeastern and Tecumseh local and Springfield City schools all feel this decision will be financially devastating, the districts told the News-Sun.
Tecumseh
Superintendent Paula Crew sent a letter updating the community on the current legislation. She wrote about DeWine’s signed budget and line item vetoes, saying if left unchecked, “would have been financially devastating to public schools” like Tecumseh.
“If the Senate also approves the override, school districts across Ohio will lose key fiscal tools that ensure stable local funding...public schools will lose the ability to place new emergency and renewal emergency levies on the ballot moving forward,” she said.
Tecumseh currently has two active renewal/emergency levies — a five-year levy was approved by voters last year that generates $1.3 million each year and one that generates $700,000 and will expire in 2026.
Both have been renewed every five years since the initial passage in the 1980s for one and 1992 for the other, Crew said. The district has attempted to pass a new levy 13 times since 2004, but have been unsuccessful. They have also made “dramatic” cost reductions over the last 20 years and “have very little left to reduce.”
“Needless to say, this will financially cripple our school district. We remain hopeful that our state senators will listen to the concerns of public educators and local communities and vote to uphold the governor’s veto in defense of our students and schools,” Crew said.
Northeastern
Superintendent Jack Fisher said they are “very concerned” with the recent proposals because he said they don’t address how schools will replace the funding lost if property tax revenues are reduced or if districts lose the ability to ask voters for renewal or replacement levies.
“Without this support, there could be a real impact on the quality of education and the broader community that depends on strong public schools,” he said.
Fisher added schools continue to face inflation increases in “everything from supplies to staffing.”
“Educating the whole student means addressing not only academics but also mental, physical and social-emotional needs, for both students and staff,” he said.
Springfield
Superintendent Bob Hill said property tax levies are an essential tool that allows them to meet rising costs and sustain critical programming.
He said the impact would be significant if the state policy were to limit those levies because districts would face growing structural deficits, including being forced to reduce programs, have larger class sizes and cut staff.
“This would disproportionately harm districts serving higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students, deepening inequities across the state,” he said. “The consequence would not simply be financial instability, but diminished opportunities for students and lasting harm to Ohio’s workforce and communities.”
In a community where the median household income falls below $40,000 and more than 400 students experience homelessness each year, Hill said the proposed policy places an “outsized burden on families least able to bear it, jeopardizing both fiscal responsibility and equitable access to educational opportunity.”
Greenon
Superintendent Darrin Knapke said since the state doesn’t fully fund public schools, they are overly reliant on local property taxes.
“Levies are essential for districts like Greenon to maintain the quality of education that our students deserve. We have concerns over the recent proposals from the legislators, especially if property tax revenues are reduced, and how schools will replace the funding lost,” he said.
If districts lose the local support “without a clear solution for state funding,” Knapke said there is a “significant risk of diminished opportunities for students, where districts will be forced to make difficult decisions regarding staffing, programs and services, which could have long-term negative impacts on the community as a whole.”
Clark-Shawnee
Superintendent Brian Kuhn said both public schools and residents continued to be “squeezed by a proverbial vice grip.”
He said, on one hand, school funding remains heavily reliant on property taxes, and on the other hand, the legislature wants to limit the types of levies schools can bring to the ballot. The impact is also felt by residents who are frustrated with more taxes and schools who work to maintain operations, he said.
“A concerted effort needs to be taken to modify how public services, including schools, are funded in the state of Ohio,” Kuhn said.
This decision can impact children’s ability to learn and bring challenges such as larger class sizes, decreased course offerings and reduced extra-curricular opportunities.
“School districts and communities must ask themselves what programs and opportunities they can provide for students as the budget continues to be stretched,” Kuhn said. “Public schools continue to face the pressure of accomplishing more without an increase in resources.”
Ohio lawmakers initially dropped a provision during state budget negotiations in June between the House and Senate to make it harder for school boards to put property tax levies on the ballot.
The Senate’s budget proposal would have required a two-thirds vote from a local school board, instead of a simple majority, in order to get a property tax levy on the ballot. The vote threshold for passage at the ballot box would still be a simple majority.
The proposal was a lower-ticket item but one that raised concerns for school boards across the state, as well as push back from the Ohio School Boards Association, which encouraged lawmakers to remove the provision in conference committee.
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