The majority of school district levies in Northeast Ohio appeared to succeed in Tuesday's primary election, according to unofficial results, at a time when schools have increasingly struggled to get new taxes approved and the future of school funding in Ohio is uncertain.
The successes included new taxes for several cash-strapped districts like Ravenna and Mogadore, which have seen past levy attempts fail in recent years. Not all schools struggling with finances saw success, however. Parma City School District's new tax levy failed; that district hasn't had a new tax approved since 2011. In total, of 41 levies on the ballot tracked by Ideastream Public Media, 28 were approved by voters. Garfield Heights City School District's levy was the only renewal attempt that failed.
While many Northeast Ohio districts with levies on the ballot sought renewals, meaning no new taxes, about half sought new tax money for operations or to fund a bond to build new facilities. Typically, new taxes are harder sells for districts, as was the case in Tuesday's election. Just 12 of 18 tax increase attempts were approved by voters.
Statewide, levies fared better Tuesday than in the 2024 primary, the Ohio School Boards Association said in a news release, with 64% being approved compared to 52% in May 2024. Support for new taxes also grew, up to 40% approval from just 13% last spring.
Several school districts - Ravenna City School District, Mogadore Local School District and Springfield Local School District - will now likely avoid further cuts due to their success at the ballot, Ravenna and Mogadore with new taxes and Springfield with two renewals. All three are listed as under a state of "fiscal caution" by the Ohio Auditor of State, meaning they project running out of funds at some point in the next five years. Both Ravenna and Mogadore reduced staff and the amount of busing they provide in the last year. The levy success for each was narrow, with 1,291 votes in favor of Ravenna's levy and 1,239 against.
Other notable levy results included Nordonia Hills City School District in Summit County which saw success at the ballot with a new tax after several recent failed attempts, while a combined income tax and bond issue at Loudonville-Perrysvillle Exempted Village School District failed.
The Ohio Senate is currently considering the proposal from the Ohio House in the biennial budget which moves away from the state's Fair School Funding Plan. If that happens, school districts will miss out on nearly $2.75 billion in increased funding over the next two years, according to one recent analysis.
About half of all school levies across Ohio failed in the November 2024 election. School levies have faced stiffer headwinds in recent years after historic property tax increases and as fears about inflation persisted.
Six school districts in the region sought bond issues to build new school facilities. Avon Lake City School District's bond issue was the only that appeared to be successful, by just 16 votes, a margin which will likely trigger an automatic recount. Meanwhile, bond issues in Wooster, Vermilion, Buckeye Local School District in Medina and Lorain counties, Coshocton and Twinsburg schools were not successful.
Meanwhile, Bay Village City School District's attempt to get a tax levy approved to pay for facilities improvements and replace two previous bond issues was successful by a wide margin.
The voter turnout was relatively low across the region, with just 11% of voters in Cuyahoga County and 14% of voters in Summit County casting a ballot this election.
