Legislation Impacting School Funding

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is House Bill 96 and how does it affect our schools? House Bill 96 is a state budget bill that proposes significant changes to school funding in Ohio, including a provision that would cap a school districts' cash balance at 30% of their annual expenditures. For Brunswick City Schools, this would result in an immediate reduction of over $20 million beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

 

What are "cash balances" and why are they important? Cash balances are NOT "rainy day funds" or excess money. They are an intentional part of our long-term financial plan, and allow our district to operate responsibly. These balances provide stability that allows us to be strategic with taxpayer dollars and are a natural part of our levy cycle. When voters approve a levy, it is intended to last for several years—not just one.  This creates higher initial cash balances for the district that gradually decline over time.

 

How does the levy cycle work with our cash balance? When our renewal levy passed in November 2024, our treasurer strategically planned it to fund operations for at least 4-5 years, minimizing requests to taxpayers and providing financial stability. Because the levy proceeds are relatively fixed in nature, cash balances at the beginning of a levy cycle are intentionally higher because they are needed to sustain operations throughout the entire levy period (4-5 years) as yearly expenses increase while revenues remains relatively flat.

 

How would the legislative 30% cash balance cap impact Brunswick Schools? If enacted, BCSD would lose an immediate $20 million in revenue, ultimately resulting in more frequent levy requests despite our commitment to stay off the ballot until 2028.  This action would also eliminate our ability to plan financially for long-term needs and remove decision-making authority from our locally elected school board and transfer it to the County Budget Commission.

 

Would this proposed legislation save taxpayers money? No. What's being marketed as "property tax relief" would actually create financial chaos for our schools and likely lead to MORE frequent tax levies. The bill effectively punishes schools for being fiscally responsible and strategically managing funds.

 

How does HB 96 affect our community? The bill would force difficult budget decisions, including potential program cuts, increased class sizes, or reduced services. It essentially disregards the will of our voters, who have already approved funding for our schools through local levies.

 

What can I do to help? Contact your representatives today and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 96 as currently drafted. Phone calls are significantly more effective than emails:

• Governor Mike DeWine: (614) 644-4357
• Senator Mark Romanchuk: (614) 466-7505
• Representative Melanie Miller: (614) 466-0961
• House Speaker Matt Huffman: (614) 466-6344
• Senator Louis W. Blessing (Finance/Education Committee): (614) 466-8068
• Senator Stephen Huffman (Education Committee): (614) 466-6247

A brief message is all that's needed: "I'm calling about the proposed state budget's impact on Brunswick Schools. I'm concerned about the elimination of the Fair School Funding Plan and especially the 30% cash balance cap, which would force our schools into more frequent levy cycles despite responsible financial management. Please oppose these harmful provisions."