ABOUT THE LEVY

What is the 9.9 mill levy coming up on the November 2025 ballot?

​The levy on the ballot this fall will be SHCSD’s first full operating request in more than a decade and will fund the district’s day-to-day costs, such as staff salaries, classroom materials and programming, utilities, and  transportation. Staff salaries account for 80 percent of day-to-day costs. This means supporting the district’s most valuable asset–its people–is dependent on the passage of this levy.

Why do we want to pass the levy?

In Ohio, school district funding is heavily dependent on property tax revenue. However, Ohio law, through the 1976 passage of House Bill 920, freezes tax revenues at the amount approved by voters, meaning school districts do not receive additional funds to account for rising inflation and property values. As such, SHCSD typically asks voters to pass new operating levies every two to three years to ensure tax revenues keep pace with inflation and property values. In recent years, however, the district, like many across the country, benefited from an influx of COVID relief funds and low inflation rates, staving off the necessity for new levies. 

Why now?

With the end of COVID relief funds and significantly higher inflation rates, SHCSD must ask voters to pass the operating levy on November’s ballot to ensure the district continues to cover its day-to-day expenses. Additionally, the district’s five-year financial forecast reflects, today, the circumstances are much different for the district. About 70% of the district’s operating budget comes from local taxes. A state law (HB 920) holds property rates down, so even as inflation keeps driving expenses up, property tax revenue increased by just 1.2% over the past decade. State and federal policymakers are openly hostile to funding public education and the district cannot count on funding from those sources. 

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The 9.9 mill levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 property $29 a month.

It will generate $12.5 million per year for the district. 

What else is the district doing?

While asking voters for their support, the district is also finding ways to make thoughtful reductions. It has already reduced costs by $2.5 million, and will make an additional $1 million in reductions each year relative to the May 2025 five-year forecast for a total of $15 million by identifying efficiencies in purchasing and using strategic attrition to avoid layoffs through retirements, resignations, and unfilled vacancies.