Board to consider OSBA platform guidance; district engages in county‑level property‑tax discussions
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Committee previewed two OSBA platform changes (finance/property‑tax and student learning) that will go to the board for delegate guidance; staff and superintendents met with Lake County officials, including Commissioner Beveridge and Treasurer Mike Zern, to discuss property‑tax proposals and countywide financing options.
Committee members reviewed proposed changes to the OSBA (Ohio School Boards Association) platform that will be on the forthcoming board agenda for delegate guidance. Staff noted two primary platform sections for board consideration: an expanded finance/property‑tax section and a section on student learning; the Superintendent said the packet condensed finance items to a single section rather than asking the board to vote on each line item individually.
The committee also previewed a special presentation at the next board meeting by Lake County Treasurer Mike Zern, who will provide a neutral overview of the function of property taxes and what might happen to funding streams if property taxes were abolished. The Superintendent and Dr. Thompson told the committee they participated in a roundtable discussion with Commissioner Beveridge and other county superintendents to discuss property‑tax issues and solutions; staff said they were invited to a larger county roundtable later in October to continue those discussions.
Committee members explored implications of property‑tax reform for district debt service, noting several local districts still have debt payments tied to school construction and other capital projects. The Superintendent stressed the district had previously converted many levies to continuous levies and converted its PI levy to a permanent, continuous levy, actions staff said helped the district manage in the current environment. The committee also discussed countywide joint financing ideas, including the possibility of an earned income tax or another countywide revenue measure to spread certain costs (for example, special education) across districts.
No formal action was taken in committee on the OSBA platform; the Superintendent said the board will vote on delegate guidance at the full board meeting. The committee expected additional presentations at the board meeting to inform that vote.
Why it matters: proposed changes to the statewide OSBA platform and ongoing county conversations about property taxes have implications for state‑level advocacy, local levy strategy and long‑term district financing. A neutral presentation from the county treasurer and roundtable discussions were scheduled to provide context to the board before the OSBA assembly.