CLEVELAND — Several school districts across Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Akron Public Schools and Avon Lake City School District, asked voters to consider tax levies or bond issues on the ballot during the 2024 general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
3News has compiled a list, broken down by county, of some of the key school levies and bond issues on the ballot in Northeast Ohio.
Here are the results of each levy:
ASHLAND COUNTY
Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village School District | Combined bond issue and tax levy: Failed
This bond issue and tax levy overlaps with Holmes, Knox, and Richland counties. Voters in Ashland County rejected the measure by a margin of 56.13% to 43.87%. Voters in Richland county were 69.88% against and 30.12% for the bond levy. Holmes County voters were 56.24% against and Knox County voters were 61.84% against.
If passed, the money would have been used to furnish and equip a new PK-12 building. In addition, it would have funded demolishing Budd and McMullen Elementary Schools and certain portions of Loudonville High School. Finally, the funds were set to improve, renovate, furnish, and equip new facilities and make general permanent improvements. This also overlaps with Holmes, Knox, and Richland counties.
- Length of levy: 37 years/continuing period of time
- Dollar amount: $53,500,000
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
Cleveland Metropolitan School District | Combined bond issue and tax levy: Passed
Voters have passed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's proposed $295 million combined bond issue and tax levy.
66.75% of voters voted in favor of the levy while 33.25% voted against the levy.
According to officials, Issue 49 combines an 8.6 mill, 10-year operating levy increase, and a 2.65 mill, 35-year bond extension authorization that will not increase taxes. In addition, the levy is based on old home values, not the reappraisal. The cost is $3.73 per week for a middle-value home. Over half of the tax is paid by businesses.
The money will go toward constructing, renovating, remodeling, enlarging, furnishing, equipping, and improving buildings/facilities. It will also acquire and improve sites and help with current expenses.
- Length of levy: 10-year operating levy increase, 35-year bond extension
- Dollar amount: $295,000,000
More information can be found HERE.
RELATED: Cleveland Metropolitan School District seeks to place new funding measure on November ballot
Richmond Heights Local School District | Combined bond issue and 1.25% earned income tax: Failed
62.71% of Richmond Heights voters rejected the income tax and bond issue while 37.29% voted in favor.
If the bond issue had passed, the funds would have helped build a new elementary school, pay current expenses and construct school and athletic facilities. The district intended to use the tax to renovate and expand existing facilities.
- Length of levy: Continuing period of time/37 years
- Dollar amount: $15,445,000
RELATED: Richmond Heights superintendent seeks to clear up misinformation regarding proposed school levy
Mayfield City School District | 5-mill, additional tax levy: Passed
Voters approved the levy with 57.55% in favor and 42.45% voting against.
The funds will allow Mayfield Schools to "keep the programs and supports that contribute to its 5-star rating on the State Report Card and 99% graduation rate." According to the district, the levy would cost homeowners $14.58 for each $100,000 of valuation.
More information can be found HERE.
- Length of levy: 5 years
- Dollar amount: Continuing period of time
Strongsville City Schools | 4.9-mill, additional tax levy: Failed
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.
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.
Superintendent Cameron Ryba discussed what those cuts may look like for the district in an interview Wednesday with 3News' Danielle Wiggins.
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.
- Length of levy: Continuing period of time
GEAUGA COUNTY
Kenston Local School District | 1-mill, permanent improvement levy: Passed
55.5% of voters favored the levy while 44.5% voted against the measure.
The money will go toward general permanent improvements in the district. According to the district, the levy will cost homeowners $2.92 monthly for each $100,000 of valuation. The levy would generate approximately $1.2 million per year.
More information can be found HERE.
- Length of levy: 5 years
ERIE COUNTY
EHOVE Joint Vocational School District | Proposed bond issue: Passed
In a tight race, the bond issue passed with 50.4% in favor and 49.6% voting against.
The money will be used to construct, add to, renovate, remodel, furnish, equip and otherwise improve district buildings and facilities.
- Length of levy: 36 years
- Dollar amount: $210,000,000
HURON COUNTY
Norwalk City School District | 5.4-mills, 37-year bond issue: Passed
54.52% of voters were for the bond issue while 45.48% voted against.
The money will be used to construct school facilities under the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission's Classroom Facilities Assistance Program.
- Length of levy: 37 years
- Dollar amount: $47,780,000
LORAIN COUNTY
Avon Local School District | Proposed bond issue: Failed
68.06% voted against the 37-year-bond while 31.94% of voters voted in favor of the proposed bond.
The bond issue was placed on the ballot in hopes that the school could get funding to construct a new elementary school, a new athletic complex and make other improvements at Heritage Elementary School.
If it had passed, the levy would have cost residents in the Avon Local School District nearly $11.60 monthly for every $100,000 of taxable property value.
- Length of levy: 37 years
- Dollar amount: $90,000,000
52.02% of voters voted against Issue 15 while 46.98% voted in favor. Issue 16 failed with 51.79% against and 48.21% in favor.
If both issues had passed, property owners would have payed an additional $414 per $100,000 of estimated home value. Issue 15 was a bond, which would generate money toward building two new elementary buildings and a middle school, plus renovations for Avon Lake High School. Issue 16 was an emergency operating levy, which would have generated revenue for day-to-day needs, course offerings, sports and more.
- Length of levy: 10 years
- Dollar amount: $5,000,000
Columbia Local School District | Proposed bond issue: Passed
Voters approved the tax levy with 54.58% casting ballots in favor and 45.42% against.
The money will go toward constructing, adding to, renovating, remodeling, furnishing, equipping and improving buildings.
- Length of levy: 37 years
- Dollar amount: $38,500,000
Firelands Local School District | 1% earned income tax levy: Failed
62.3% voted against the tax levy while 37.7% voted for the measure.
If passed, the issue would have raised an estimated $3.3 million annually and would have funded essential day-to-day operations, according to the district.
More information can be found HERE
- Length of levy: Continuing period of time
Lorain City Schools | 4.97-mill permanent improvement levy: Failed
55.35 % voted against the levy with 44.65% in favor.
If passed, the issue would have raised an estimated $3.5 million per year, or $17.7 million over the life of the levy. The levy would have cost households $174 per year ($14.50 per month) for a home valued at $100,000. Officials say that this is "same amount of money taxpayers have been paying on two bond issues for the past 20+ years," as one bond is rolling off this year, and the other is rolling off next year.
More information can be found HERE.
Length of levy: Five years
MEDINA COUNTY
Buckeye Local School District | Proposed bond issue: Failed
59.29% of residents voted against the bond issue while 40.71% voted in favor.
The money generated from this bond issue was to go toward constructing, furnishing and equipping a 9-12 building. It would also have improved, renovated, furnished and equipped existing facilities.
- Length of levy: 35 years
- Dollar amount: $59,000,000
Medina City School District | 7.5-mill emergency operating levy: Passed
By a razor-thin margin, voters approved the tax levy by a margin of 50.46% (13,255 votes) in favor and 49.54% (13,011 votes) against.
The money will go toward maintaining programs and services for K-12 students in Medina City Schools. According to the district, the levy will cost homeowners $22 monthly for each $100,000 valuation.
If the levy had failed, the Medina City School District would have had to restructure the district, eliminate bussing at the high school level and make additional staffing cuts.
"We were really at a crossroads with this levy after facing two failures, potential additional loss of potential dollars collected, that we were going to have to change the structure of our district in order to provide the best education for our students at the classroom level with the money that we had," said Aaron Sable, superintendent of Medina City Schools. "And our community had a really difficult decision before them in deciding what direction they wanted for our district."
More information can be found HERE.
- Length of levy: 10 years
- Dollar amount: $14,412,000
PORTAGE COUNTY
Aurora City Schools | Proposed bond issue: Failed
Roughly 43% of voters voted in favor of the levy while 57% voted against the levy.
This school system also crosses into Summit County, where the tally was separated by just two votes -- 249 for and 247 against.
The money generated from the levy was to go toward building a new high school, updating other schools and growing the community, the district said. According to the school district, the levy would have cost homeowners $265 per year for each $100,000 of valuation.
- Length of levy: 37 years
- Dollar amount: $136,356,400
Ravenna City School District | 8.31-mill emergency operating levy: Failed
Roughly 54% of Ravenna voters voted against the tax levy while 46% voted in favor.
The Ravenna School District said it intended levy funds to be used to maintain its offerings, focus on retaining and increasing high-performance staff, reinstate value-added programs and services, enhance extracurriculars, and welcome community members to use the school's facilities.
According to the district, the levy would have cost homeowners $24.24 per month for each $100,000 of valuation.
More information can be found HERE.
- Length of levy: 5 years
- Dollar amount: $3,250,000
RICHLAND COUNTY
Mansfield City School District | Combined 5.64-mill emergency operating and 1% earned income tax levy: Failed
Mansfield residents voted 69% against the tax levy with 31% in favor.
If passed, the money would have been used to pay current expenses and necessary district requirements. According to the district, homeowners would have to pay an additional $16 per month for every $100,000 of valuation.
Residents would also have paid a 1% tax on earned income, which includes wages, salaries and tips.
- Length of levy: 5 years
- Dollar amount: $3,000,000
SUMMIT COUNTY
Stow-Munroe Falls City School District | Proposed bond issue: Failed
60% of voters across Portage and Summit counties voted to reject the bond issue with 40% in favor.
If passed, the money would have been spent constructing, improving, furnishing and equipping four new PK-3 elementary schools and one new 6-8 middle school. In addition, it would have been used to improve, renovate, furnish and equip existing facilities and demolish existing facilities.
- Length of levy: 35 years
- Dollar amount: $238,005,493
Twinsburg City School District | Proposed bond issue: Failed
The money raised from the bond will go toward addressing costly and inefficient school buildings, the district said. Key projects from the bond include a new elementary school, relocating Tiger Stadium to Twinsburg High School’s campus, and moving the athletic fields to Dodge Property.
The levy will cost residents in the Twinsburg City School District will cost taxpayers nearly $149 per $100,000 of taxable property value each year.
- Length of levy: 36 years
- Dollar amount: $107,000,000
Akron Public Schools | Combined 7.6-mill operating levy and bond issue: Passed
The levy, which passed during the Nov. 5 general election, will cost taxpayers nearly $311 per $100,000 of taxable property value each year.
57.71% of voters voted in favor of the levy while 42.29% voted against the levy.
With the levy passing, the money will go toward constructing, furnishing and equipping a new high school to replace the existing North High School.
The money will also go toward constructing, furnishing, and equipping new facilities and help with current operating expenses.
- Length of levy: 37 years/continuing period of time
- Dollar amount: $85,000,000
Mogadore Local School District | 5.9-mill additional tax levy: Failed
Voters in Portage County and Summit County rejected the 5.9-mill tax levy with 45% of voters and 55% against.
If passed, the money would have gone toward current school expenses.
- Length of levy: 5 years
Nordonia Hills City School District | 5-mill additional tax levy: Failed
56.47% of residents voted to reject the tax levy, while 43.53% voted for it.
The district said the funds would have gone toward capital improvements for aging school facilities and systems, enhancement of educational programs, and safety/security improvements. If passed, homeowners would have paid $175 per year for every $100,000 of valuation.
More information can be found HERE.
- Length of levy: Continuing period of time