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Voters approve Cincinnati Public Schools tax levy to fund district-wide preschool program

Posted at 11:21 PM, Nov 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-09 01:00:13-05

CINCINNATI --  Queen City voters approved Issue 44, a five-year tax levy that will create a city-wide preschool program and alleviate Cincinnati Public School's budget deficit.

The levy passed with more than 61.93 percent of votes cast in 226 precincts, according to unofficial Hamilton County Board of Election results.

The levy will generate an additional $48 million a year for five years, costing the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $277.

Specifically, it will generate $15 million to subsidize two years of preschool, with the money following students to any CPS, private or charter preschool within the district.

CPS will keep the money it needs to pay for its preschool program and pass the rest to the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, which will create a new infrastructure to oversee the preschool program. United Way will oversee paying preschools for the students it teaches, training teachers and staff and creating a new not-for-profit organization that can raise funds to help support preschool.

The other $33 million will go toward filling a big big budget deficit in CPS after making do with the same level of local tax funding since 2008.

It will also help CPS continue to create specializations at more neighborhood schools as part of an effort to bolster results at those schools.