Voters in several northwest Ohio school districts will decide in November whether to fund schools through income taxes instead of higher property taxes, according to WTVG.
Districts have long argued that state funding falls short of what they need, leaving local taxpayers to cover the gap, the station reported. The approach has drawn both support and skepticism.
The Northwest Ohio Realtors Board is circulating a letter backing an income tax proposal for Springfield Schools, citing the absence of an added property tax bill and arguing that strong schools support home values. Sylvania's proposal would pair an income tax with a modest property tax rollback.
School income taxes remain uncommon in Ohio. Policy Matters Ohio, as cited by WTVG, places most of them in the western part of the state.
One stated advantage: residents without earned income, including retirees, would not pay more, and Social Security would not be affected by an earned income tax.
Schiller said the state's share of school funding has declined relative to other states, and that districts statewide are working out how to adjust.
Comparable measures have been rejected at the polls before, WTVG noted. The November ballots will determine their fate.