Cloverleaf Local School District is taking an unusual step this fall amid rising property values in Medina County: it’s seeking to cut property taxes.
The school district says it has asked its board of education to reduce three levies by about 3.3 mills total, cutting how much it receives from levies voters have approved by more than half. In total, the district hopes to keep property tax bills roughly the same next year, despite an estimated 25% jump in property values under the county's sexennial reappraisal conducted in 2025.
"I feel that school districts should be part of that solution, especially considering that the largest portion of the tax bill for homeowners is typically the school district," said Superintendent Daryl Kubilus.
However, there's a catch, Kubilus added. The Ohio Legislature could take up further overrides of several of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's vetoes in the state budget this fall, which would prevent the district from being able to offer the relief.
"As I've spoken with my legislators, I share that I want to help with the property tax burden, but some of these are just so draconian that there is either little understanding about school funding or there is a blatant, 'I don't care,'" Kubilus said. "And the schools are just gonna be left to fend on their own. Some of these proposals would immediately propel school districts into fiscal duress."
Legislators have said they want to provide further relief to property owners who have seen historic increases in taxes. Those veto overrides could drop the amount of revenue districts receive from property taxes.
The vetoes the Legislature could override include a provision allowing county budget commissions to reduce money schools would receive from voter-approved levies if “reasonably necessary," and a measure requiring emergency and several other kinds of levies to be used when calculating the 20-mill floor.
Ohio House Bill 920, which was enacted in 1976, provides for school districts that levy 20 mills or less to receive increased tax revenue when property values rise; taxes are increased to bring them back to millage they were at. A mill translates to $1 per $1,000 of "assessed" property value, which is 35% of "appraised" value.
Cloverleaf is at the 20-mill floor, Kubilus explained, meaning it does not have a large number of voter-approved levies like other districts. Districts at the 20-mill floor see larger property tax increases when values increase due to a clause in state law.
He said the district will need to rescind any relief it's provided taxpayers if the Legislature's actions harm its funding.
"We have to protect ourselves from our state legislature," Kubilus explained.
The district says several things have aligned in order to allow it to provide the relief in the first place: a recent windfall in tax revenue from the NEXUS gas pipeline, which runs through the district and helped it build a new middle and high school, and about $23 million in funding from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, used to pay off debt accrued when the district built a new elementary school, the district said in a news release.
This would mark the fifth time in five years the board of education has cut taxes for Cloverleaf residents, Kubilus said, with the goal of keeping taxes down after another increase due to an assessment three years ago.
The board of education is expected to vote on the property tax reduction plan at its Sept. 17 meeting. Medina County Auditor Anthony Capretta said in the release his office would time the tax reductions for Cloverleaf residents to coincide with the new real estate values, which take effect Jan. 1.
“The auditor’s office is thrilled to work in conjunction with Cloverleaf Schools to provide some relief to district taxpayers,” Capretta said in the release. “My office applauds the efforts of Cloverleaf’s leadership on being proactive with a voluntary reduction of their millage rates. This showcases their commitment to fiscal prudence and the overall commitment to the community at large, while still providing the educational opportunities for their students and families.”
