Ohio Legislative Service Commission Financial Analysis includes:

An explanation of the 5-year forecast that is required of all public school districts.

A summary of revenue sources and expenditures for the MEVSD.

Chart 3 indicates that the MEVSD will run out of cash reserves by 2028 without further cuts and/or a new operating levy.

A comparison with five similar districts selected by the OLSC and describing the methodology used in selecting the comparison districts. (Note that Marysville, Delaware and Lebanon Districts are located in counties that are consistently identified as among the highest-growth counties.)  Of the six counties, Marysville receives the highest percentage of State revenues and the lowest percentage of Local revenues. (See the spreadsheet on page 6.)

Chart 4 shows projected MEVSD enrollment through FY2028 and indicates an enrollment growth rate of 1.2-1.4% per year.

Drawing from reliable sources such as the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce, we’ve compiled comprehensive data on enrollment numbers, including pre-K and disability statistics for Marysville and comparative districts. Understanding demographic shifts is essential for planning and resource allocation.

Marysville Partners in Education has compiled data sourced from The Department of Education & Workforce to provide you with an at-a-glance comparison of enrollment trends across several school districts from 2009 to 2024.

This comparative analysis offers insights into enrollment dynamics, highlighting shifts in student populations over the years. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or community member, understanding enrollment trends is essential for informed decision-making and planning.

Enrollment data from October 2009-2023. This data represents a one day snapshot of enrollment every October from 2009 – 2023

There are three (3) main fund categories:

• General Operating
• Permanent Improvement
• Bond

General Operating: Funds pay for salaries, benefits, insurance, supplies, purchased services (Ex: School Resource Officers, contracted special services, etc.), materials, County Auditor & Treasurer fees, annual State Audit fees.

Permanent Improvement: Funds pay for busses, custodial/maintenance equipment, classroom furniture, roofing, asphalt, flooring, mechanicals, technology, curriculum, copier, lease, renovation projects.

Bond: Funds pay for the debt on district buildings. The bonds have been refunded (similar to refinancing) several times over the years to take advantage of interest rate fluctuations.

Delve into the intricacies of property tax collection in the Marysville School District for the year 2024 with our detailed breakdown of voted and effective millage. This comprehensive review provides insights into:

• Voted Millage
• Effective Millage – Class 1: Residential & Agricultural
• Effective Millage – Class 2: Commercial, Industrial & Public Utility

Voted mills are those mills which taxpayers have approved. Effective mills are the mills actually collected. Due to House Bill 920, levy millage decreases as property values increase to ensure taxpayers do not pay an increase in taxes due to property value inflation.

DID YOU KNOW

In Ohio, property is classified according to land use, and the classes are taxed differently.

Class I includes properties used for single-family residential and for agricultural land uses.  Class II includes properties used for multi-family apartments, commercial, industrial, and public utility land uses.

The County Auditor is required to determine the market valuation of all the properties in the county in strict compliance with State requirements and with State oversight.  Property taxes are levied on the tax valuation of a property, which is 35% of the market valuation.

Property tax levies are expressed in “mills.”  A one mill levy translates to $1 for each $1000 of tax valuation.  For example, the tax assessed for a one mill levy on a property with a market valuation of $300,000 would be $300,000 times 35% times 1/1000, which equals $105.  For a 5.5 mill levy on a property with a market valuation of $300,000 would be $300,000 times 35% times 5.5/1000, which equals $577.50.  A 5.5 mill levy will raise approximately $6.4 million.

There are three different kinds of mills, voted mills, effective mills, and unvoted (inside) mills.  Voted mills are the result of a tax levy being placed on the ballot and approved by majority vote. The county auditor calculates a fixed sum levy amount using current district wide property tax valuation assessed at the approved voted millage. Voted millage generally decreases with time (is rolled back) such that the levy will raise the same fixed sum in future years as property valuations increase.  This decreased millage is called “effective” millage.  Due to House Bill 920, as property values increase, levy millage decreases to ensure taxpayers do not pay an increase in taxes due to solely to property value increases.  Unvoted millage is millage allowed by Ohio Law that benefits counties, cities, schools and townships.  The total amount of inside millage is capped at 10 mills. Unvoted (inside) mills do not change.  MEVSD receives 4.70 mills of inside millage.

The voted millage plus unvoted (inside) millage for current MEVSD operating levies total 47.86 mills, however:

• For Class I properties, the effective millage actually being collected for current operating levies is 20.110 mills (47.86 total is “rolled back” to 20.110).*
• For Class II properties, the effective millage actually being collected for current operating levies is 41.979 mills(47.86 total is “rolled back” to 41.979).

*If the effective millage for current operations were to drop below 20 mills, the millage would be collected at 20 mills.  Current Ohio Law requires that school districts collect no less than 20 mills for current operating purposes.

We’ve delved into various sources to track changes in the cost of living over time. From consumer price indices to specific item cost fluctuations, our analysis provides insights into economic trends that impact our community.

Explore inflationary changes in the cost of living, comparing March 2008 to March 2024. Our review, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index, provides a snapshot of the percentage increase in the cost of essential goods and services over the years.

District Finance Committee
District Treasurer, Todd Johnson, and Assistant Treasurer, Deb Carpenter, oversee meetings. Meetings are held at least two times/year with the purpose of reviewing the draft 5-year General Fund Forecast and assumptions prior to presenting to the Board of Education. Additional meetings are scheduled as needed. This committee has no voting privileges. Ohio Revised Code requires local Boards of Education to approve 5-year General Fund Forecasts in May and October each year.

Finance Committee Members
• Cathi Alexander
• Kevin Brandfass
• Sue Devine
• Jeff Fetherolf
• Ryan Grose
• Valerie Kessler
• Gwen Murray
• Greg Rohrs
• Casey Sattler
• Brad Springer

An April 4, 2024 Columbus Business First article about failed Central Ohio School levies included a ranked list of the Fastest Growing Central Ohio Public School Districts based on enrollment change from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023.

• Marysville has the 2nd lowest tax rate in the Central Ohio area.
• Passage of a 5.5 mill levy would move Marysville from 2nd lowest to 3rd lowest tax rate.
• 98% of schools in Ohio operate with more revenue per pupil than Marysville. According to the ODE, out of 606 schools in Ohio, Marysville has the 14th lowest total operating revenue per pupil, coming in $4,944 below the state average.
• Marysville’s operating expenditure per pupil is $2,438 below the state average.
• Marysville has the 19th lowest local tax effort in the entire state of Ohio out of over 600 districts.
• Compared to most districts in Ohio, Marysville is understaffed, having fewer teachers and administrators per student:
  • Marysville’s student-to-teacher ratio is relatively high, ranking 48th in the state. This means that 92% of districts have more teachers per student, showing that Marysville has fewer teachers for its number of students.
  • Marysville’s student-to-administrator ratio is also high, ranking 97th in the state. This means that 84% of districts have more administrators per student, showing that Marysville has fewer administrators for its number of students.

• Marysville has the lowest tax rate out of the ODE list of “Similar Districts”
• Marysville’s performance index score for school year 2023 ranks them in the top 17% of all schools in Ohio

School districts levying income taxes are usually more rural in nature, often have largely agricultural economies and generally exhibit minimal or slower growth.  About a third of school districts in Ohio levy income taxes.

The MEVSD has a proportionally large total property tax base that approaches $1.18 billion.  Class I (single-family residential and agricultural land uses) valuations represent about 72% of that total, while Class II (multi-family apartments, commercial and industrial land uses) valuations represent about 28%.  Property tax levies are assessed at 35% of the actual valuation.

The voted millage plus unvoted (inside) millage for current operating levies total 47.86 mills.  The effective millage actually being collected for current operating levies is 20.110 mills (47.86 total is “rolled back” to 20.110) for Class I properties and 41.979 mills (47.86 total is “rolled back” to 41.979) for Class II properties.  Class II properties (multi-family apartments, commercial and industrial) are currently assessed at a millage rate of about twice the millage rate assessed on Class I properties (single-family residential and agricultural).

Multi-family apartments generate fewer students (0.2 per unit) than single-family residences (0.8 per unit) based on Central Ohio averages.

In the MEVSD, because of the large difference in effective millage on Class II properties compared with Class I properties, approximately 45% of property taxes are generated from Class II properties even though the assessed valuation of Class II properties is 28% of the total assessed valuation of the district.

• Who pays school property taxes?

Class I-Agricultural properties, undeveloped properties, single family home properties.

Class II-Multi-family apartment property owners, commercial property owners, industrial property owners at a current millage rate of about twice the rate of Class I properties.

•  Who pays school income taxes?

Residents living in the school district who have income (could be earned or unearned income depending on the levy wording) would pay the tax.

Businesses would pay NO tax.

The District Profile Report is a tool to evaluate statistics of each of Ohio’s traditional public school districts. The report allows users to compare a district with similar school districts and the state as a whole.

Information includes demographic data, personnel data, property valuation and tax data, local tax effort data, expenditure data, revenue by source data, and school district financial status data.

Public School districts receive local funds from locally approved levies. These levies may be on property values, earned income (wages, salaries, self-employment), or traditional tax base income (Ohio Taxable Income). Public School districts that collect income tax effective Jan. 1, 2024 are listed by the Ohio Department of Taxation (tax.ohio.gov), showing both the type of income tax, and the rate collected.

Understanding the intricacies of tax levy laws is paramount for responsible financial management. We’ve delved into Ohio Revised Code on Tax Levy Law to ensure compliance and clarity regarding fund utilization.

This listing shows income tax payments to all public school districts with approved Income Tax levies for Fiscal Year 2024. Some information included on this list is the county, district, date the levy was imposed, rate charged, and quarterly payments.

The Ohio School Report Cards offer an extensive summary of progress in districts and schools throughout the state, aiming to provide a transparent view of academic success and future preparedness. They evaluate performance in vital educational areas, and also shed light on financial details, spending, and educator and staff information. The content of a report card varies depending on the school type, including traditional local schools, career-technical planning districts, or community schools primarily focused on dropout prevention and recovery programs. The overarching objective of these report cards is to foster transparency and accountability within Ohio’s education system, equipping parents, educators, and community members with crucial information to bolster student achievement.

The total salary and benefit expenses for certified, classified, central office, and administrative staff as percentages of the overall salary and benefit costs for fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025). These figures align with the fiscal year 2025 numbers in the May 2024 5-year forecast submitted to the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (ODEW).

The five-year forecast serves as a tool to communicate and assess the financial health of a school district. City, local, exempted village and joint vocational school districts are required to submit five-year forecasts twice annually to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and may elect to submit additional updates at any time.

This long-term financial planning and evaluation of expenses required for significant capital projects and maintenance over a 20-year period. This includes costs for major repairs, upgrades, and replacements of infrastructure, such as buildings, technology, equipment, and other facilities. The assessment ensures that the school district allocates funds appropriately to maintain and improve school facilities, ensuring they remain safe, functional, and conducive to learning.