Marlington Local projects modest 2026 surplus but warns proposed state tax changes could cut $500,000–$600,000 a year

At a Oct. 8 work session of the Marlington Local School District Board of Education, financial consultant Ryan Gazzoni told the board the district is projected to bring in about $28 million in revenue in fiscal 2026 and to post an operating surplus of about $348,000, with an ending cash balance of approximately $6,578,000.

The forecast presentation emphasized that those projections assume current state law, including the funding guarantee often called the 20-mill floor. Gazzoni said the forecast reflects a one-time pipeline settlement that boosted 2025 receipts and that the district's future revenues are otherwise essentially flat under current law.

Why it matters: board members and staff said a proposed state bill, referred to in the meeting as House Bill 186, would limit or roll back some funding guarantees and could require districts to repay prior-year increases as a tax credit to property owners. Board members and staff estimated the bill could reduce Marlington's revenue by roughly $500,000 to $600,000 per year if it…