The Little Miami Local School District board approved the district’s tax budget for fiscal year 2027 after a staff presentation that incorporated recent state property-tax changes and updated the district’s five-year forecast.

Treasurer (speaker 1) told the board the tax budget covers an 18-month period beginning July 1, 2027, and includes estimated revenues, levy schedules, and expenditure projections. He said the budget already incorporates several recently passed House bills on property-tax reform and warned the changes will materially reduce the district’s revenue.

"We're over 9,000,000 in the hole with property tax reform. So we just lost another $8,000,000," the treasurer said while reviewing the forecast and exhibits showing revenue, expenditures and debt-service timing. He explained that the district faces "flat property tax revenue" and flat state revenue because Little Miami currently receives a state funding guarantee based on fiscal year 2020 levels rather than growth under the Fair School Funding Plan.

Why it matters: the tax budget is the first formal step in the district’s budget process and is submitted to the Warren County Budget Commission for review and certification. The presentation showed the district will not automatically receive more state funding as enrollment rises because it remains on the historical guarantee; the treasurer warned that without revenue growth the district will have a tighter budget outlook over the planning horizon.

Details and follow-up: the treasurer reviewed exhibits for the general fund, special revenue funds, the permanent-improvement (capital projects) fund, and debt service. He noted roughly $8 million of cash is carried in the debt-service fund to meet semiannual bond payments and cited about $91.6 million in outstanding general-obligation bond principal outstanding in the bond schedule. The tax budget includes levy estimates (inside mills, outside millage and fixed-sum millage) and the district’s updated five-year forecast; the treasurer said he will circulate an updated forecast in February once valuation and legislative interpretations are clearer.

Board action: after the presentation, the board voted by roll call to approve the tax budget as presented. The district will file the adopted tax budget with the Warren County Auditor and Budget Commission for review; the commission’s certification and the board’s later tax-rate authorization will determine final levy calculations and collection amounts.

Next steps: the district will submit the document to the Warren County Budget Commission for review and certification; board members said they expect continued monitoring as the state clarifies implementation of the recent bills and as updated valuation data becomes available.