HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Voters face a critical decision this November that could determine whether Little Miami's growing school district slides into another financial crisis.
Advocates for Issue 11, an operating levy renewal, say it would cost taxpayers $206.50 per 100,000 property valuation and represents about one-sixth of the school district's operating revenues.
Voters first approved the levy in 2011 after the district faced a fiscal emergency, and since then, enrollment has grown by more than 1,500 students.
"The district this year is about a $60 million budget. This levy represents $10.6 million of that," said Mark Sousa, a volunteer for the PAC supporting Little Miami Schools. "If it were not to pass, the funds are available currently through next year. In the current term, the renewal would take it through 2031."
If the levy fails, Sousa said the district could fall into a deficit. Opponents say this is because of the district's wasteful spending. I reached out to them for comment, but did not hear back.
"If this levy does fail, the district would enter a pretty substantial deficit and likely start to make cuts and seek replacement revenues for it as soon as 2027," said Sousa.
Little Miami Issue 11: What voters need to know about school levy renewal
According to Sousa, property values have been increasing since 2011, and taxpayers would actually pay slightly less than they did when the levy was originally passed at 13.95 mills.
Here’s the breakdown of the operating levy:
- A renewal of an existing emergency operating levy, it will extend the current funding arrangement rather than adding new taxes. Voter approval keeps the same rate in place.
- When originally passed in 2011, the levy was 13.95 mills. Due to state tax “rollback” adjustments and property value changes, the effective millage has dropped to approximately 5.72 mills — but the dollar amount collected remains the same.
- There is no expansion built into the levy, only money for sustaining day-to-day operations.
- If the renewal was not approved, the district would lose the $10.6 million and likely face reductions in programs and services.
Kristi Hamberg, a parent and substitute teacher, supports the renewal.
"Now, with the economy, it can be a little challenging, but I feel like, especially this particular tax levy, since it is a renewal, we won't feel that difference," said Hamberg.
She has seen firsthand the impact of a levy failure on students.
"There are certain things that the state of Ohio deems necessary for schools and certain things that they don't, such as busing and specials and those types of things, so I just worry as a parent that if this doesn't pass, they would feel those impacts, eventually," said Hamberg.
