OHIO — School districts across Ohio waited Tuesday night for the election results, many with levies on the ballot. Some were decided by narrow margins.
What You Need To Know
- School levy passage rates hit a low not seen in years
- Of the 75 issues on ballots, 36 passed around the state
- Low passage rates could impact the real estate sector
Low passage rates
Districts looking for additional funding were hoping to address a variety of things including operating budgets, bond issues for constructions and levies that combined the two.
Of the 75 issues presented on the ballots, 36 passed.
Many counties indicated new taxes would not be the solution. Schools asked for new money in a total of 46 levies. Less than half of those passed. The Ohio School Boards Association said that was the lowest percentage of passing since the 2007 election.
The typical passage rate is about 35%. That’s down from Nov. 2022.
Jerry Rampelt, the founder of Support Ohio Schools Research Foundation, works with school districts on levy campaigns. He said with COVID in the “rearview mirror,” school districts are less likely to get pandemic-induced sympathy.
“Goodwill now is essentially behind us and voters are also feeling the long-term effects of inflation,” Rampelt said.
He said the laundry list of issues educators faced during the height of the pandemic may have helped pass levies. That’s no longer the case.
On Tuesday, a handful of 29 renewals did not pass. Typically, Rampelt said, only one or two will fail.
“A renewal failing is very unusual. A renewal is a renewal of an existing tax. There’s no increase to the voters,” Rampelt said.
Further repercussions
Moving forward, Rampelt said he believes it’ll be important for districts to determine what the roadblock at the polls were in their respective areas.
He said many school districts will need to make tough decisions on what to cut, whether it be staff or courses. They can’t spend money they don’t have.
Rampelt said the impact of the passage rates could impact other issues as well. He noted those looking to move often look at school districts when deciding where to live. When a family looks into a school district, they want to enroll in stable schools, which can offer their kids a quality education. Now, Rampelt said, finding a good fit may take more work.
“If a district is in deep financial trouble, class sizes are going up, courses are cut, teachers are cut… That parent may say, ‘Let’s go next door to this neighboring community that appears to be more financially stable.’ So there are reaching impacts into the community that are not normally thought about when you vote ‘no’ on a levy.”
Key impacted districts
Six of the districts with levies that stood out this year included:
Winton Woods (Hamilton County)
- Levy failed
- The district has tried the last 11-plus times to get something passed
- It will have to look at where it will make cuts
Ross Local Schools (Butler County)
- Levy failed
- It’s the third time in less than a year the district’s levy didn’t pass
- This district faces fiscal emergency; the state will take over and cuts will be made
Archbold School District (Fulton County)
- Levy passed
- Small rural district
- The district will avoid an operating deficit
Lake Local Schools (Stark County)
- Levy failed
- Homeowners with houses valued at $200,000 will avoid paying $75 more per month
- The district has not had a levy on the ballot in nearly two decades
Madison Local Schools (Richland County)
- Levy failed
- First levy on the ballot in 25 years
- The district will need to cut staff and educational programs
Parma City Schools (Cuyahoga County)
- Levy failed
- It will lose $79 million in matching funds from the state; those would have been used to build a new high school
- District superintendent, Charlie Smialek said the district will likely shift its attention to the operating budget as it looks at a projected deficit in 2027