Board members and the superintendent spent part of the meeting discussing recent state-level proposals on property tax and how they could affect local school funding and the district’s master facility plan.

Why it matters: several speakers warned that proposals to constrain or eliminate local property taxes could remove the district’s ability to levy for operating, permanent improvement or bond measures, which officials said would complicate decisions about building and renovation projects.

The superintendent reviewed recent developments: a property-tax work group released a report with 20 recommendations after the state legislature overrode Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of provisions in HB 96. The superintendent named several bills under consideration — including HB 129, HB 309, HB 335 and HB 186 — and said additional legislation is likely.

“Representative Brenner’s bill is the first that’s been a little bit more ... trying to decide and determine how they’re gonna backfill some of these things,” the superintendent said, adding that some proposals could remove districts’ ability to levy money for levies, permanent-improvement or bond issues. “If that was taken away from us, how would we ever move forward?”

Officials said a signature-gathering effort for a constitutional amendment aimed at reducing or eliminating property tax authority has already begun in some communities; board members warned the proposal’s backers may not have detailed plans for replacing revenues that pay for fire, EMS, libraries and schools.

At the same time, the superintendent told the board that the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission has “queued us up” in its funding cycle and that the next capital funding cycle is expected next summer. He said the OFCC-queued money is “guaranteed” within the current capital budget but warned the district still must decide whether to proceed with master-facility planning now or delay until state policy becomes clearer.

Board members indicated the district may schedule work sessions in November and December to assess facility options and timing in light of the legislative uncertainty.

Ending: The board asked staff to monitor state legislation and said members may need to decide soon whether to proceed with master facility planning given the competing factors of OFCC availability and potential changes to local levy authority.