Twinsburg board outlines proposed 1.25% earned-income levy as tool to close multi-year budget gap

The Twinsburg City School District on April 8 framed a proposed 1.25% earned-income tax levy as a necessary measure to stabilize district operations and blunt projected multi-year budget shortfalls.

"This levy is about stability and sustainability for our students and our schools," said Mrs. Crawford, the board president, while outlining that levy revenue would pay for teachers and staff, classroom instruction, transportation, utilities and extracurricular programs. She said the district has cut more than $2.2 million in expenses but still faces forecasted deficits in coming years.

The board estimated the levy — a resident earned-income tax rather than a property tax — would generate approximately $12.1 million and would apply to wages, salary and net self-employment income; it does not apply to retirement income, Social Security, unemployment benefits, interest, dividends or capital gains, according to the presentation.

Officials cited state data indicating many Ohio districts face financial stress: the speaker noted that, of 660 school districts in Ohio, hundreds are in fiscal emergency, watch or caution status. The board also highlighted that Twinsburg’s state funding as a share of total revenue has declined in recent years, citing a drop to about 16.88% of revenue in FY25 from roughly 22% in FY20.

Interim district administration answered a question about the district’s low state funding share by noting that the state’s funding formulas treat Twinsburg as a relatively "wealthy" district because of its residential, commercial and industrial tax base, which reduces the percentage of state aid the district receives.

Mrs. Crawford urged residents to attend a community information session about the levy at Twinsburg High School on Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m.; the session will be livestreamed and is intended to explain levy mechanics and to allow public questions.

The presentation included district finance figures: Twinsburg’s per-pupil expenditures were listed at about $17,533 and revenue per pupil at about $16,954 (sources cited as Ohio Department of Education reports). The board projected the district to be roughly $3 million over revenue in the current year, with larger shortfalls in subsequent years if additional revenue or cuts are not secured.

The board did not take a levy vote during the April 8 meeting; the session was informational and the board directed the community to the April 16 public forum for more details.

The board’s financial presentation and the announced public forum are the next procedural steps for public engagement on the proposal.