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Dublin school leaders warn proposed Ohio property-tax change and vouchers pose fiscal risk
Summary
Dublin City Schools officials told the May 20 board meeting that a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes and continued state voucher spending could threaten local school funding, and clarified that district property-tax dollars do not fund vouchers.
Dublin City Schools Superintendent Dr. Marian Marshhausen told the board on May 20 that the district is watching a proposed Ohio constitutional amendment that would abolish property taxes and could force the state to find new revenue streams for schools, fire departments and municipalities.
The superintendent said the district relies heavily on local property taxes and that any statewide change would have significant implications for Dublin. She also urged clarity about vouchers, saying Dublin property-tax revenue is not used to fund private-school vouchers and that statements to the contrary are misinformation.
Why it matters: Dublin is predominantly locally funded and any large-scale change to property-tax policy would require the state to replace revenues schools now receive locally. At the meeting Dr. Marshhausen said property taxes make up roughly 60–65% of the local portion of many households’ tax bills and that state action to reduce or abolish property taxes would quickly shift funding responsibilities to the state or require alternative revenue sources.
At the meeting Dr. Marshhausen described recent actions at the state level: Attorney General Dave Yost accepted title and summary language for a proposed amendment that would amend the Ohio Constitution (referenced in the meeting as “section 14 article 12”) to eliminate property taxes. She said placing the measure on the ballot requires signatures equal to 10% of votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election, with at least 5% collected in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
On vouchers, Dr. Marshhausen said, “None of our property tax dollars in Dublin go to vouchers. Vouchers are directly funded by the General Assembly and by the State of Ohio. None of our school funding that comes to Dublin is diverted to vouchers. That is misinformation.” She said Dublin currently has “over 550 students in Dublin who do have vouchers,” and that the district has not seen a measurable enrollment decline linked to voucher expansion.
Board members asked whether Dublin has standing to join litigation challenging voucher law; Marshhausen and Treasurer Brian Kern said the district has not been shown to be financially harmed in a way that would justify using district funds for litigation. Kern added that pursuing litigation could still cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars with no guaranteed financial return to the district.
The board did not take a formal vote on policy or litigation at the meeting. District leaders said they will continue monitoring the state budget process, expected conference work through late June, and that final budget details likely will not be available until October–November following the state’s June actions.
Ending: School leaders urged families to follow official district communications and emphasized that any change to state funding formulas or tax law would require further analysis and likely additional public communication from the district.
