STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Strongsville voters have rejected the city school district’s proposed tax levy, marking the third time a school levy has failed to pass in the city since 2023.
39.83% of Strongsville voters voted in favor of Issue 53 while 60.17% voted against the levy.
Issue 53 proposed to replace the district’s five-year renewal levy with a 4.9-mill continuous operating levy, meaning the levy would have remained in place permanently unless the school board took action to change or remove it.
Tuesday was the district’s third time bringing a bond issue to voters since 2023. After lobbying from local Republicans, Strongsville residents previously voted down a renewal of the five-year, 5.9-mill property tax in November 2023 and March 2024 — despite the fact that the levy would not have raised taxes. Now, voters have rejected a levy again, this time at a lesser rate.
Ahead of the election, the Strongsville City School District said if Issue 53 failed, it would lead to staff cuts at all levels of the district. The levy rejection will prompt the district to offer fewer courses and increase class sizes. The district also said it would raise fees, reduce extracurricular activities and cut back on transportation services.
In addition, the district plans to institute budget cuts in the face of Issue 53’s failure, beginning with $3 million for 2025-26 and doubling every year following.
Issue 53 would have allowed SCS to eliminate most student fees as well as pay-to-participate and trainer fees for athletes. It would also have eliminated tuition fees for full-day kindergarten. The district said the levy would have maintained a $4.2 million operating budget for “student opportunities.”
