Barberton voters head to the polls Tuesday for an 11-mill operating levy that district leaders say could be the difference between keeping schools open as they are and sliding deeper into state control. Superintendent Jason Ondrus has pitched the measure as one piece of a larger financial recovery, but officials are upfront that the tax will not wipe out projected deficits in fiscal years 2027 and 2028. Millions in cuts and dozens of job eliminations are already lined up for next school year if new money does not come through.
What the ballot asks
The May 5 measure would add 11 mills to property tax bills, which works out to about $385 a year for every $100,000 of market value. The county fiscal officer estimates the levy would bring in roughly $5.96 million annually. It is a continuing levy, and according to the ballot language, collections are scheduled to start in 2026 with the first payments due in 2027, per the Summit County Board of Elections.
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