Northeast Ohio Voters Decide on $100 Million in School Taxes

Northeast Ohio residents will decide on 15 separate school tax measures in November. The proposals range from property tax increases to new local earned income taxes. Together, the measures seek to raise roughly $100 million in annual revenue for operating budgets, infrastructure, and debt service.

The voting season for these levies began in early 2026 as districts sought to cover rising costs and replace aging facilities. Many of the proposals are extensions of existing operating levies that have expired. Others are new requests for local income taxes to supplement state funding. Districts filed the paperwork months ago to ensure the measures appeared on the November ballots.

In Cuyahoga County, five districts seek new funding. Orange City School District requests a 5.0 mill continuing operating levy. That measure would cost property owners $175 per year for every $100,000 of market value. Strongsville City School District asks for a 6.7 mill, five-year levy. Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District seeks a 6.5 mill levy that would generate $11.1 million annually. Euclid City School District proposes a 6.75 mill levy that would add $19.67 to monthly property tax bills for homes valued at $100,000, with collections starting in 2027.

Lake County voters face four distinct proposals. Mentor Public Schools seeks a 4.9 mill, five-year levy to raise $13.5 million for daily operations. Riverside Local School District requests a 1% earned income tax for infrastructure and operations, a measure that would bring in $13.7 million per year. Willoughby-Eastlake City School District asks for a 0.75% earned income tax for operations and permanent improvements, which the district estimates would generate $14,029,656 annually. Painesville City Local School District seeks a 1.75% earned income tax for operational expenses, a proposal that would raise $3.4 million per year.

Other counties present different financial structures. Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village School District in Ashland County asks for a 2.85 mill bond issue to generate $16.4 million. Plain Local School District in Stark County proposes a 37-year, 3.5 mill bond to replace seven elementary schools with three new ones. The district states this move would secure $84 million in state funding. Barberton City School District in Summit County seeks a 1% earned income tax to meet state balanced budget requirements and end state oversight.

Barberton is not the only Summit County district on the ballot. Cuyahoga Falls School District requests a 5.5 mill, five-year levy to generate $6.1 million. The district lists maintaining class sizes, preserving AP courses, and keeping security personnel as primary uses for the funds. Norton City School District and Tallmadge City School District both seek 1% and 0.75% earned income taxes, respectively, to maintain current service levels and cover operating expenses.

In Lorain County, Amherst Exempted Village School District asks for a 5.97 mill levy that would cost owners $209 per year per $100,000 of market value. Elyria City School District seeks an 8.9 mill levy to raise $11.6 million for operations. Berkshire Local School District in Geauga County requests a 0.5% earned income tax, its first new operating funds request since 2007. Wadsworth City School District in Medina County also seeks a 1% earned income tax for operational expenses.

Voters in these 15 districts will cast ballots on the proposed tax rates and durations. The measures include specific terms for how long the taxes will remain in effect and exactly how the revenue will be allocated. Property owners and local workers will see the financial impact of their choices in their monthly bills and pay stubs following the November election.