Voters in the Madison Local School District will see two levies combined during the next election.
Those levies generate about $4.8 million each year, total.
“It’s not additional monies,” Madison Superintendent Rob Peterson said. “It’s not changing the dollar amount that we’re going to collect. It’s just one less time being on the ballot by combining them.”
Combining the operational levies into one, he said, should help prevent “voter fatigue” for residents, especially after the district unsuccessfully asked for additional funds the past two elections.
“We clearly have heard our residents and our taxpayers say, ‘no,'” Peterson said. “We felt it’s important at this point, rather than going back on the ballot for additional funds, to go on the ballot just to secure the funding that we already have over the next five years.”
One of the levies was scheduled to end in 2027 and the other in 2028. The combined levy will appear as one during the November 2026 election.
Budget cuts coming to Madison Local Schools
Cuts are coming for the Madison Local School District either way.
“We’re still going to have to make probably about $500,000 in cuts, even if the renewal levy passes,” Peterson said.
Should the measure fail, that budget shortfall will grow to about $1.5 million each year.
Securing the levy this fall would help provide some stability for students over the next five years. What positions, services and other expenditures might need reduced is still not clear.
“We really haven’t gotten that far in the process yet,” Peterson said.
‘Actually, we’re dire now’
The district’s financial outlook shows a concerning future, Madison Treasurer Bradd Stevens said.
“We’re dire next year,” he said. “Actually, we’re dire now.”
He said operating costs for the district keep climbing. Revenue, though, is not keeping up.
“We’re going to have to continue to cut and continue to seek more money,” Stevens said. “And how do revenues keep up with expenditures? Well, the state has to start funding us at the level it costs to educate.”
He pointed to one example from the past school year where Madison had spent $300,000 on programs for students who have disabilities. After they submitted it to the state for reimbursement, Ohio gave them $75,000.
“They essentially gave us 25% of that,” Stevens said. “The state did not support. That’s all on local taxpayers. Well, if you keep cutting, you know, making it harder and harder for us to raise money locally, what do you expect us to do?”
Contact Zach Tuggle at 419-564-3508. Follow him on X at @zachtuggle.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Madison renewal levies could soften $1.5 million budget crisis
Reporting by Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
