Cincinnati Voters Approve Five-Year $66.3 Million CPS Operating Levy

The levy will provide new local revenue for programs and building repairs while the district must still deliver a state-mandated recovery plan that cannot assume those funds.

Overview

Voters approved Issue 4, a five-year property tax levy estimated to raise about $66.3 million a year for Cincinnati Public Schools, with collections starting next year.
District leaders said the levy will give immediate relief for programs and deferred maintenance but will not erase broader fiscal pressures facing the district.
The state placed CPS in fiscal caution in September, and the district must submit a recovery plan to the state by Nov. 30 that, by rule, cannot count on levy proceeds when projecting its finances.
CPS has cut more than $100 million from its budget over three years, including about 100 staff reductions last year and furlough days, and officials warned more cuts were planned before the levy passed.
If CPS fails to meet the state’s recovery goals it could move from fiscal caution to fiscal emergency, which would give the state control of district finances and decision-making; observers should watch the Nov. 30 plan and the district’s early-year revenue reports.