If you’ve spent any time at an Ohio high school football game or a town hall lately, you know the vibe. People are stressed. Property values have shot through the roof, and when that tax bill hits the mailbox, it’s a gut punch. So, when the ohio school levy results started rolling in this past November, everyone was holding their breath.
Schools were begging for air. Voters were clutching their wallets.
Honestly, the numbers that came back were a bit of a shocker compared to the bloodbath of 2024. Last year was rough—basically a coin flip. But this time around? Things felt different. According to the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), about 66% of school tax issues cleared the hurdle in November 2025. That’s a massive jump from the 51% we saw just a year ago. It’s like the state collectively decided that while they hate the taxes, they can't let the local school fall apart.
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Breaking Down the Ohio School Levy Results: The Big Winners and Losers
It’s never just one big "yes" or "no" across the state. Ohio is a patchwork of 600+ districts, each with its own drama. If you're looking at the raw data, the big takeaway is that renewals are still king. People are generally okay with keeping the status quo. In fact, renewal proposals saw a staggering 91.7% success rate.
Basically, if a district asked to keep the same money they already had, voters said "fine."
But "new money"? That’s where the real fight happens. Getting a community to agree to a fresh tax hike is like pulling teeth. Even so, 33% of new requests passed this November. That’s an improvement over the measly 25% from 2024, but it still means two-thirds of districts asking for more cash got a door slammed in their face.
The Northeast Ohio Surge
Up north, things were particularly interesting. Districts like Ravenna and Mogadore—both of which have been sweating in "fiscal caution" for a while—finally caught a break. They’ve been cutting staff and busing like crazy just to keep the lights on. In May 2025, they finally squeezed out wins. It wasn't a landslide; Ravenna’s levy passed by just 52 votes. That’s the margin of a few suburban streets.
Where the Money Dried Up
Not everyone had a party on election night. Parma City School District is still in the weeds. They haven't had a new tax approved since 2011. Imagine trying to run a household on 2011 prices today. It’s impossible. Perrysburg also had a massive $11 million emergency levy on the ballot to avoid "deep cuts" to things like sports and extracurriculars.
When these fail, the "feedback" Tom Hosler (OSBA chief executive) talks about feels more like a sledgehammer.
Why the Sudden Change in Voter Sentiment?
You’d think with inflation still being a total pain, everyone would vote "no" on everything. So why did the ohio school levy results trend upward?
A lot of it comes down to the statehouse.
Ohio's 2025-2026 biennial budget caused a massive stir. Lawmakers basically walked away from the Fair School Funding Plan—the bipartisan "holy grail" of funding that was supposed to fix our unconstitutional system. Instead, they funneled a ton of cash into private school vouchers (EdChoice).
Public school advocates started screaming from the rooftops. They told voters: "Look, the state isn't coming to save us. If you don't pass this local levy, we are literally cutting the high school choir and the 7th-grade basketball team."
That "cliff" became very real for parents.
The Property Value Problem
There’s also this weird paradox with property taxes. In districts like Olentangy or Westerville, home values have exploded. Some people think that means schools are getting a windfall. They aren't. Because of a 1970s-era law called House Bill 920, school levies are mostly "frozen" in time. They don't collect more money just because your house is worth more.
Voters are starting to realize that the schools are actually getting squeezed by the same inflation that’s hitting their grocery bills.
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What Happens if Your District Failed?
If you're in a spot where the "Against" column won, things get ugly fast. Union Local School District is a prime example of the "fallout" stage. They recently had to take out a $2.6 million loan just to cover operating expenses. That’s like putting your mortgage on a credit card. It’s a short-term fix that leads to a long-term disaster.
Common consequences of failed ohio school levy results include:
- State Minimum Busing: Only picking up kids who live more than two miles away.
- Pay-to-Play: Charging families $500 or more just to play a sport.
- Staff RIFs: "Reduction in Force" is just a fancy way of saying teachers get fired.
- Deferred Maintenance: Not fixing the roof until the gym floor starts warping from leaks.
The Real Cost of a "No" Vote
There is some fascinating research floating around about what happens to your home value when a school levy fails. A study cited by the Cincinnati Realtor Alliance suggests that homes in districts with failed renewals can see a drop of about $7,600 in market value.
Why? Because school quality is the #1 driver of real estate.
You might save $300 a year on your tax bill, but you’re potentially losing thousands in equity. It’s a classic "penny wise, pound foolish" situation that local levy committees are getting much better at explaining to voters.
Actionable Steps for Ohio Property Owners
Whether you’re a parent or a retiree on a fixed income, the ohio school levy results affect your bottom line. Here is how you can actually navigate this mess:
1. Check Your District’s Five-Year Forecast
Every district has to file one with the Ohio Department of Education. It’s public. If you see the "unreserved fund balance" dipping into the negatives in year three or four, a levy is coming. Don't let it surprise you.
2. Understand the "New Construction" Exception
While HB 920 freezes taxes on existing homes, schools do get new money from new buildings. If your area is booming with new warehouses or subdivisions, ask your school board why they still need a levy. Sometimes there's a good reason (more students), sometimes not.
3. Look at the EdChoice Impact
Check how much money is leaving your local district to pay for private school vouchers. In some districts, this is a massive drain on the "General Fund." Knowing this helps you understand why the school is asking for money even if they just passed a levy five years ago.
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4. Engage Before the Election
By the time you see the ohio school levy results on the news, it's too late. Most districts hold "Finance Committee" meetings that are open to the public. If you think they’re wasting money on administrative salaries or fancy turf fields, that’s the place to grill them—not the Facebook comments section the night before the vote.
The trend in 2025 shows a state that is tired of the fighting but still cares about the kids. But with the statehouse shifting priorities toward private education and property tax "relief" caps (like the 30% carryover limit proposed in HB 96), the local levy is becoming the only lifeline public schools have left.
Expect 2026 to be even more lopsided as more districts hit the "fiscal emergency" wall.