CINCINNATI — Several local school districts turned to voters to help fill significant budget gaps in Tuesday's primary election.
Mount Healthy, New Richmond, Fairfield and North College Hill school districts each asked for new tax levies that leaders say were critical to keeping programs and staff in place. Without new funding, the districts say they will have to make tough decisions regarding staff cuts and program reductions.
Here's a look at the different levies and how residents voted:
North College Hill
Voters were asked to decide on a 1.25% earned income tax levy as North College Hill City Schools looks to close a shortfall of more than $2 million. The district has not had an operating levy on the ballot for more than 20 years.
When the votes were tallied, however, the North College Hill levy fell short with 56.63% of voters opposing.
In March, the district laid off 18 teachers and five staff members.
Superintendent Dr. Eugene Blalock Jr. said funding has dropped significantly, with the district going from $8 million to just $1.7 million from the state. Blalock estimated that the levy failing means the district will have to cut at least 10 more teachers and five more educational aides, leading to larger class sizes and impacting the special education population.
Extracurricular programs are also on the table for cuts — including band, drama and athletics.
WATCH: How Ohio voters decided on school tax levies
New Richmond
New Richmond Exempted Village School District voters were asked to decide on an 8 mill levy that would last five years. District officials said the levy would cost an extra $280 per $100,000 of assessed home value per year.
That levy also failed, with 70% of voters opposing it.
Superintendent Paul Daniels issued the following statement Tuesday:
"The New Richmond Exempted Village School District thanks all community members who participated in the May 5 election.While results are still being tallied, it appears the community did not approve the district’s 5-year, 8.0-mill operating levy. The district appreciates the community’s attention to this issue and the engagement shown throughout the process. The Board of Education will continue to review the district’s financial outlook and consider next steps. Regardless of this outcome, our commitment to providing a top-notch educational experience to each and every one of our students remains unyielding. We will continue working through our reduction plan while identifying efficiencies wherever possible to lessen the impact on our students and their families. Additional information will be shared with staff, families, and the community as it becomes available."
In December 2025, the district submitted its fiscal precaution plan following voters' rejection of an income tax levy. The district is still feeling the impact of the closure of two major power plants nearby: the Beckjord plant closed in 2014, and the Zimmer plant closed in 2022, shrinking the district's revenue.
"Those both accounted for about 37% of the total revenue that was generated here in the school district," Superintendent Paul Daniels said in October.
Chief Financial Officer Brett Floyd said the district is not scaling back on any of the reductions in the field plan, regardless of whether the levy passed or failed. Changes coming to the 2026-2027 school year include a reduction of five teaching positions, mostly through retirements
Mount Healthy
Voters were asked to decide on a 0.75% earned income tax levy.
The levy passed on Tuesday, with 51.24% of voters in favor.
The district has been in a fiscal emergency since April 2024, when officials discovered an accounting error. That financial crisis has already led to the district cutting more than 100 staff positions and school transportation. A 3 mill levy failed in November, with just over 53% of voters saying no.
Fairfield
Fairfield City Schools is facing $4.5 million in budget cuts that could eliminate field trips, reduce staffing and cut tutors unless voters approved a new income tax.
On March 5, the Fairfield Board of Education unanimously approved a financial reduction package and placed a 1.25% school district earned income tax on Tuesday's ballot. The district has not passed an operating levy since 2011 and is projecting a $9.5 million operating deficit this fiscal year.
On Tuesday, voters decided not to support the levy, with 53.9% opposing it.
Superintendent Billy Smith said the district had already reduced 26 positions over the last three years.
"It does include reducing 15 positions through attrition for savings of about $1.6M. That is the largest savings on the reduction list," Smith said. "We think that number may get all the way up to 20. Those reductions will occur, pass or fail."
The district's proposed cuts include eliminating all school field trips, reducing elementary building hours, cutting eight custodial positions, reducing 10 English learner tutor positions and modifying the fee structure for extracurricular participation to include a $100 increase.
Smith released the following statement Tuesday night:
"The Fairfield City School District acknowledges the outcome of the earned income tax ballot issue. As previously communicated, the District will move forward with the implementation of approximately $4.5 million in reductions prior to the start of the 2026–2027 school year. The District has also shared that additional revenue is necessary to avoid further significant reductions. In the coming months, District leadership will engage with the Board of Education regarding the possibility of future ballot issues, while also continuing discussions about additional reductions should future funding efforts not be successful. It is currently estimated that an additional $15 million in reductions may be required if a future ballot issue, such as one in November, is not approved. The District remains committed to transparency and will continue to keep the community informed as we navigate these next steps."
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