Bellefontaine City Schools is sharing information with voters ahead of the November 3 election, when a proposed 1% earned income tax levy will appear on the ballot.
The district says the levy would generate an estimated $3.5 million annually once fully implemented.
If approved, collections would begin January 1, 2027, and continue without a set expiration date.
The district says the tax would apply to qualifying earned income rather than the value of a person’s home or property.
Retirement income and investment earnings generally would not be subject to the proposed tax.
The proposed rate is 1 percent, which the district explains as $10 for every $1,000 of taxable earned income.
For example, the district’s informational materials show an estimated annual tax of $400 on $40,000 in taxable earned income and $1,000 on $100,000.
Bellefontaine City Schools currently does not have a school district income tax.
Bellefontaine’s Superintendent Brad Hall and Treasurer Josh Wasson joined News Director April King on Sunday’s Listen Up! on 98.3 WPKO:
District officials compare its local revenue and spending with other Ohio districts, saying BCS spends less per student than similar districts and the statewide average.
The district also points to changes in state funding and rising costs as factors in its financial outlook.
School officials previously told the Board of Education that state funding has decreased significantly over the past five to 10 years.
At the September 14 Board of Education meeting, levy co-chairs Brenda Sanford and Keyne Strickland discussed the proposal.
The district has cut approximately $3.5 million in spending since 2019, and operates with fewer administrators per student than similar districts and the statewide average.
The proposal would fund current school expenses.
The school board approved placing the 1% earned income tax levy on the November ballot in June.
If you have questions, the district will hold question-and-answer sessions at the Sloan Distance Learning Center at the Bellefontaine High School on September 30th at 6:30 PM and again on October 20th at 5:30 PM.
Voters in the Bellefontaine City School District will decide the issue on November 3, 2026.
