Nordonia Hills board certifies levy scenarios; three ballot requests move forward after split votes

The Nordonia Hills City School District Board of Education certified multiple levy scenarios with Summit County on Monday and voted on five separate levy resolutions, sending three measures for county certification and rejecting two.

The board’s treasurer, Mr. Cooper (district treasurer), presented an overview of the tax-budget and five levy options the administration asked the board to consider. Cooper said the district’s unencumbered fund balance was about $11,000,000 and that personnel savings and rising purchase-service costs had produced budget pressure heading into fiscal 2026. He said the tax budget must be filed with the county by Jan. 20 and that certification of levy scenarios is a two-step process: certification by the county followed by the board selecting which measures, if any, to put on the ballot.

The matter mattered because the district projects continuing structural deficits that would require either cuts or new revenue to maintain current services. The board debated focused on whether to prioritize permanent-improvement (PI) spending for buildings or to direct more revenue to ongoing operating costs, and whether to seek continuous levies or a time-limited emergency levy.

Board members split on strategy. One board member said bluntly, “We need operating money. End of discussion,” arguing that operations must take priority. Other board members supported allocating a portion of a levy to permanent-improvement needs or pursuing a finite emergency levy to increase voter support.

Votes at a glance - Resolution: Advance of local taxes (resolution authorizing advance of local taxes). Outcome: Passed (unanimous). Vote as recorded in meeting: all voting members responded “Yes.” - Resolution: Adjusted fiscal year 2025 appropriation. Outcome: Passed (unanimous). Vote as recorded: all voting members responded “Yes.” - Resolution: Limited permanent-improvement levy — 1 mill for five years. Outcome: Failed (motion failed after recorded votes). Recorded roll-call responses included one “Yes” and multiple “No” responses; chair announced, “Motion fails.” - Resolution: Limited safety and security levy — 1 mill for five years. Outcome: Failed. Recorded result announced as 1-4, motion fails. - Resolution: Combination levy (continuous) — 5 mills total, apportioned 4.5 mills to current operating and 0.5 mill to permanent improvements; one ballot, continuous. Outcome: Passed (3-2 as recorded). - Resolution: Continuous operating levy — 5 mills, continuous. Outcome: Passed (3-2 as recorded). - Resolution: Emergency levy (renewal-style) — $7,300,000 per year for eight years (board certified dollar amount, county to compute mills). Outcome: Passed (recorded as 4-1-0; chair announced motion passes). The treasurer noted the county will convert the $7.3 million request to a millage rate (roughly “4-point-something” mills by the treasurer’s estimate). Collections for a successful levy would begin Jan. 1, 2026.

Board members emphasized different risks. Supporters of the combination and continuous proposals argued voters are familiar with a 5-mill ask and that shifting more to operations (compared with earlier proposals that dedicated more to PI) could reduce the gap created by expiring levies. Supporters of the eight-year emergency option argued a finite-term ask could win over voters who resist a perpetual tax and would secure multi-year stability for payroll and services; opponents warned the district would reface funding decisions at the end of the eight years and that an emergency levy could result in another ballot fight down the line.

The board voted to send the three successful resolutions for certification to Summit County; the treasurer said he would notify the board once the county’s calculations were available. The board scheduled a special meeting for Jan. 28 to decide which certified measures, if any, would be placed on the ballot.

The board record shows the process used two steps: (1) board approval to certify levy scenarios with the county for millage estimates and (2) a later board vote to select the actual ballot language and timing.

The treasurer and board members repeatedly warned that a failure to secure additional revenue would require more substantial budget reductions in the coming fiscal year.

Ending: The board left open which certified measures will appear on the May ballot; members set a special meeting for Jan. 28 and planned to review the county’s certification results and select the final ballot items.