Superintendent warns House Bill 335 would cut millions from North Ridgeville City Schools’ budget

Superintendent told the North Ridgeville City Board of Education on June 17, 2025, that House Bill 335 — titled the Property Tax Relief Now Act — would repeal “inside millage,” a portion of local property tax that the district uses for guaranteed funding, and would cut $4,500,000 from the district’s budget in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 and $9,000,000 per year beginning in 2028.

The superintendent said the loss would force “staff reductions, larger class sizes, and cuts to transportation, extracurriculars, and student offerings,” noting most districts spend 80–85% of their budgets on staff. “This bill proposes to repeal inside millage, which is a foundational component of local property tax that provides guaranteed funding for our public schools and our local governments across the state,” the superintendent said.

The district emphasized the communitywide effects: the City of North Ridgeville projects a $3,600,000 loss for fiscal year 2026, which the superintendent said could jeopardize police, fire, parks and public works operations. The superintendent also cautioned that many districts across Ohio could quickly enter state fiscal watch and fiscal emergency if the bill passes, and cited a statewide figure — 20,000 teacher positions — as part of the statewide impact described at the meeting.

District staff explained timing and mechanics: fiscal years run July 1 through June 30, so fiscal year 2026 would begin July 1, 2025. The superintendent described how the district’s substitute levy passed in February 2020 had been set at 11.74 mills initially and has declined to “around 7 mills” as growth spread the tax burden; HB 335 would eliminate inside millage and the ability to renew substitute levies, the superintendent said, which would change how new construction and growth affect local revenue. The superintendent also warned the bill could affect homestead exemptions and rollback calculations, citing a 12.5% rollback figure discussed at the meeting.

Board members and one questioner asked for clarification about where returned funds would go; the superintendent said the legislation would send more money back to taxpayers. The district posted a resource page and templates on its website and urged residents to contact state legislators, listing Representative Gail Manning and Senator Nathan Manning as contacts on the district page.

This description at the board meeting was a policy warning and community call to action; the board did not take a formal vote on the bill itself. The superintendent repeatedly framed the information as contingent on passage of HB 335 and urged community engagement to influence the state legislative process.