Cincinnati Voters Approve Five‑Year Operating Levy to Shore Up Schools

Overview

• The five‑year, 7‑mill operating levy passed with about 61% support in the Nov. 3 election and is projected to raise about $66.3 million each year, with collections beginning next year.
• Cincinnati Public Schools has cut more than $100 million over recent years and faces a projected $58.6 million shortfall, and passage of the levy does not remove the district’s state fiscal caution status.
• State rules require CPS to file a recovery plan by Nov. 30 that cannot assume the levy outcome, so the district must plan potential cuts independently of the new revenue.
• Results across Greater Cincinnati were mixed: Lakota voters approved a bond that will cost about $77 per $100,000 of property value and won’t be collected until 2029, Franklin passed an earned‑income tax, and several districts including North College Hill, Lebanon, and Northwest saw funding measures fail.
• Local coverage reported inconsistent estimates of individual tax impacts, which officials say they must clarify as CPS leaders pledge to report how levy dollars are spent and work to avoid deeper cuts or a state takeover.