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Superintendent warns Oakwood schools would lose about $26.4 million if property taxes were abolished
Summary
At the May 11 meeting the superintendent told the Oakwood board that a statewide proposal to abolish property taxes would eliminate an estimated $26.4 million in annual operating revenue (about 76% of the district's revenue), and cautioned that no transitional replacement plan currently exists.
The Oakwood School District superintendent told the board on May 11 that a statewide proposal to abolish property taxes would produce a catastrophic drop in local school revenue and urged the community to consider the fiscal consequences.
"Eliminating property taxes would result in an annual operating loss of $26.4 million, which constitutes about 76% of our total revenue," the superintendent said during the superintendent's report. He described the proposal as a potential "school funding crisis disguised as tax relief." The superintendent said state-level replacement options were not specified and that, without a viable replacement plan, the district could face deep program and staffing cuts.
The superintendent referenced statewide figures, saying property taxes generate roughly $24 billion annually for local governments and nearly half of Ohio's school districts rely on that funding. He cited an Ohio Office of Budget Management estimate (as presented in the meeting) to illustrate scale: replacing $24 billion would require across-the-board state tax increases to rates the superintendent described as implausible or highly disruptive, and he warned of volatility in income and sales-tax-based replacements.
He outlined possible local consequences if the proposal passed, including reduced staffing and larger class sizes, loss of specialized academic programs, and deferred maintenance such as roof and HVAC repairs. "We would likely face significant reduction in staffing leading to increased class sizes and a loss of specialized academic programs," he said.
The superintendent said the district is coordinating with Oakwood City and Wright Memorial Library to produce clear, verifiable information for residents and plans to share joint materials to show how the proposal could affect schools, city services and libraries.
Board members did not take formal action during the meeting on the statewide proposal; district staff said they would continue to provide neutral, factual information and engage the community in the coming days.
