Vote Yes For the
Akron School Levy
Checks can also be mailed to:
Citizen Committee-Akron Public Schools, PO Box 1263 Akron, OH 44309
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
SUMMARY: Based on inflation the Akron Public School still looming deficits after 12 years of making do without any new investment of local levy dollars.
Failure to pass the levy could have major consequences in our community – including the impact on student programs and educational quality and in the loss of jobs within the community from one of our largest area employers.
Q: It seems like we are always voting for levies?
A: Actually, Akron Public Schools has not gone to voters with a levy in 12 years. We worked hard to make things work without returning to voters. But with State funding challenges, inflation and increased costs even cuts can’t get around the fact that we have not raised local funding in 12 years.
Q: Why does the school district need more money?
A: Less revenue from the State of Ohio is projected including loss of students through the initial expansion of universal vouchers. Despite the District not having a levy in 12 years and the District keeping finances in the black, the projection is for major losses in revenue in fiscal years 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Q. Why are our public schools still funded by property taxes? Wasn’t that system ruled unconstitutional?
A. Yes, it was. In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled (DeRolph vs. Board of Ed) that state funding through property taxes was unconstitutional, but no change has been made to Ohio’s system. In Akron, as in all other Ohio cities, we still rely on property taxes.
Q: With the value of our homes going up and the additional taxes we pay, why does the district need a levy?
A: School levy money does not adjust for inflation due to Ohio law. Ohio enacted a law known as HB 920 which holds the amount of property money generated by a levy to the amount raised at the time it passes. In 2022 the property tax for Akron Public Schools was 46.7 mills. But in 2023 due to HB 920 and increased home values, the millage was 34.4 mills.
So the revenue generated from property taxes to the Akron Public Schools does not increase with inflation. But the cost of goods and services have increased for the District.
Q: Why does North High School need to be rebuilt?
A: The main part of North High School was constructed in 1931. The building has maintenance challenges including a leaky roof, HVAC issues and because this particular area is experiencing the most growth in enrollment, outdated classrooms.
Q: Isn’t the District smaller and don’t they have less students reducing costs?
A: Student enrollment impacts the amount of Ohio funding the Akron Public Schools receives. This creates a loss in state revenue through less students in each of the next 5 years. Because of inflation, even with fewer students the current per pupil and operational cost continue to rise.
Q: Why doesn’t the District make cuts if they are going to be over budget?
A: Akron Public Schools prides itself on the hard work of our staff. But faced with cuts in revenue and no increase in property taxes for the last 12 years, the Akron Board of Education made the very difficult decision to implement cuts. This includes reluctantly eliminating 285 jobs to save $25 million. 121 jobs will be covered through retirements and attrition which we hope will cushion the blow for families that are impacted by these cuts.
Q: Doesn’t the Lottery pay for Schools?
A: Lottery money goes to the State which then includes it in the formula of state funding they send to School Districts. But the Legislature determines the funding formula used (and can use the Lottery money to offset other dollars toward other parts of the budget.) The new formula does include an increase in State Funding of $15 million over the next 5 years. But it also eliminates $10 million in Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid.
Q: If the levy doesn’t pass can we make more cuts?
A: Total with rising costs, declining enrollment and changes in the formula, the Akron Public School District is projected to have a deficit of almost $24 million in 2026 and almost $51 million in 2028. This includes any increase in state aid, the job cuts already announced and investment income of just over $2 million. With no increase in the property tax base because of HB 920, any other cuts can impact the academic programs, student experience and impact Akron students who deserve a quality education. In the case of North High School it would be extremely difficult not to assign students to other High Schools.
We are one of the top 10 employers in our community and it can have a big impact on our community. Our school employees work extremely hard and the cuts we have already made are painful to those employees, their families and to our students, the community and school district.
Q: Ok so what will this actually cost?
A: This is the first Akron Public School Levy in 12 years. The cost would be $22 per month per $100,000 home toward operating expenses with an additional $3.83 per month for a new North High School.
Q: I’m on a fixed income and already faced with rising property taxes.
A: We absolutely understand the difficulty of being on a fixed income. That’s why the Akron Public Schools have gone over 12 years without a levy.
One thing the State Legislature is doing is working on a Bill to bring relief to people on fixed incomes that are most impacted.
Q. I miss our old school names. Why are the schools now called Community Learning Centers?
A. The schools were renamed to highlight and encourage their use by a wide range of community groups in addition to students. The facilities host Ward meetings, provide voting spaces, summer youth programming, after-school programming and a variety of community uses.
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