At a Tuesday town hall, Cincinnati Public Schools leaders answered questions about an additional operating levy on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to Signal Cincinnati. The 7-mill measure would generate $66.3 million in revenue across five years, the district said. For the owner of a $100,000 market-value home, the cost would be roughly $245 annually, or about $20.42 per month.
This is CPS's first request for a new operating levy in a decade, per its levy information page. Superintendent Shauna Murphy said the district recently earned its first three-star rating in 15 years while acknowledging more work remains.
CPS reported closing a projected budget gap of nearly $58 million ahead of Fiscal Year 2027. Measures included staffing and non-personnel reductions, furlough days and outside funding. If voters reject the levy, Treasurer Michael Gustin said the district would lose $20 million to $25 million each year, a scenario he described as scary. He said cuts would become harder as officials weigh state-required services against community-supported programs such as athletics, band, high school choice and Montessori schools. Murphy and Gustin did not specify what would be cut, saying plans would go to the school board first.
Gustin also said levy funds could support delayed facility maintenance planned since 2006. The district now has 6,000 more students than initially projected, the report said.
Asked about the district's debt, Murphy pointed to state funding for private and charter schools alongside public schools, referencing Ohio's EdChoice voucher program. More than 300 districts, including CPS, are challenging the program. An appeals court ruled it unconstitutional on Thursday, according to the report, and the state is expected to appeal.