Talawanda officials warn state and county tax changes squeeze district budget; board approves 5‑year forecast

Talawanda City School District trustees approved a five‑year financial forecast Thursday after district leaders said recent actions by the Ohio Legislature and Butler County are reducing the local revenue streams that pay for schools.

The district’s treasurer, Ms. Dafalski, presented the forecast and told the board it was prepared using the best available information and that “it is recommended that the board approve the 5 year forecast as presented.” The board voted unanimously to adopt the forecast.

Why it matters: board members and administrators said the district faces pressure on two fronts — new state law changes that limit some local levy tools, and a county rollback of property taxes — that together could reduce revenue available for classrooms and operations. The treasurer flagged a $242,000 estimated loss tied to this first county rollback, plus the prospect of larger reductions if commissioners apply additional rollback authority in later years.

What leaders said - Mr. Wyatt, the board’s legislative liaison, described the statewide context and said officials in Columbus recently voted to limit replacement and emergency levies. He told the board: “On October 2, the Ohio Senate voted 21 to 11 to override Governor DeWine’s veto… School districts can no…