Euclid Schools Board Approves 6.75-Mill Tax Levy for November Ballot — What Residents Need to Know

Euclid homeowners may be asked in November to pay more for schools before the district has publicly said what, line by line, the added money would buy. The Board of Education has taken the first step toward a 6.75-mill levy — a real increase in property taxes, not a routine school-board vote.

On July 8, 2026, the Euclid Board of Education approved the first of two resolutions needed to put a 6.75-mill property-tax levy before voters in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The board must approve a second resolution by Aug. 5, 2026 — the 90-day certification deadline under Ohio law — before the measure can officially reach the ballot. If voters approve it, the levy would raise property taxes for every homeowner in Euclid to fund school operations.

For households, that number translates into real money.

Ohio calculates a mill levy using 35% of a home's fair-market value, its assessed value. One mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value — or $35 per mill on a home valued at $100,000. A 6.75-mill levy would add about $236 a year to the tax bill for a $100,000 home, or about $354 for a home valued at $150,000. Taxpayers would pay the full gross amount because Ohio eliminated the 10% and 2.5% property-tax rollbacks for levies passed after November 2013.

That leaves the question residents deserve answered before November: What, specifically, would Euclid Schools deliver for the added tax bill?

The official July 8 board meeting recap notes approval of the levy resolution alongside other routine business but does not detail what the levy would fund. The district has not publicly released a line-item breakdown showing how the estimated revenue would be allocated across salaries, programs, transportation or facilities, nor has it stated a contingency plan identifying which cuts would follow if the levy fails.

The district's recent levy history underscores what could be at stake. Euclid Schools lost a renewal levy in November 2018 by fewer than 600 votes, with 8,924 against and 8,335 in favor. That levy had funded operations since 2008. Following the failure, the district eliminated 10 teaching positions, 4.5 administrative positions, one human-resources position, one IT position, 2.5 ground-crew positions and four cleaning positions, while also reducing transportation to the state minimum and cutting after-school programs, sports and arts. Voters rejected an 8.7-mill emergency operating levy on March 17, 2020, with about 51.5% voting no (3,616 votes) and about 48.5% voting yes (3,400 votes).

Euclid Schools does have a financial problem to solve. For the 2025-26 school year, the district has a total budget of about $106 million in revenue and $108 million in spending, resulting in a deficit of about $2 million. The district is projected to serve 4,655 students across eight public schools. Enrollment has declined from 5,904 students in 2010-11 to 4,748 in 2022-23, a decrease of roughly 20%, which reduces state funding based on student headcount while the district maintains high fixed costs for staff and facilities.

Local funding comprises 54% of Euclid Schools' revenue, or $57.4 million; state funding comprises 35%, or $37.7 million; and federal funding comprises 11%, or $11.3 million. The district spends about $22,449 per student, significantly higher than the Ohio state average of about $16,867.

Karen Brown, superintendent of Euclid City School District, was appointed by the Board of Education on April 17, 2026, and assumed the role following the retirement of Christopher Papouras. The district has not publicly explained why the board chose 6.75 mills or how officials determined that amount would address the $2 million budget shortfall. Across Ohio, voters rejected a majority of school levies in the May 2026 primary, with only 24 of 66 local school district property and income tax levies passing.

The July 8 vote came after the board rejected the first resolution on June 10, 2026. Ohio law requires boards to pass two separate resolutions by a two-thirds vote of all board members, and the final Resolution to Proceed must be certified to the Board of Elections no later than 90 days before the election.

Board President Gabrielle Kelly called the July 8 meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. in the Board Room at the Fordyce Administration Building. Four board members were present; Board Member Tia Otoo was unable to attend.

Euclid residents can attend upcoming Board of Education meetings and submit public comments to ask Board President Kelly, Superintendent Brown and other officials for detailed budget projections, levy allocations and contingency plans. The district's official board meeting recaps and announcements are published on the Euclid City School District website. Residents have roughly four months before Election Day to demand clarity on what they are being asked to fund and whether the district can deliver on its promises.