2026 Levy Information

Registered voters who live within the district’s boundary (the City of Lakewood) are eligible to participate in the election. This includes residents whose children may be enrolled in private or parochial schools. The voter must be registered by the deadline on April 6. Residents can register to vote or update their address by visiting the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

The District has refinanced and advance refunded various debts over the past six years. As a result, 2 mills will be expiring from the District’s financial books. That debt service reduction means that the millage levied on taxpayers would be 4.9 mills instead of the 6.9 mills Lakewood voters will see on the ballot. This is because the district cannot change rates among its revenue sources – the law instead requires voters to approve a separate tax.

The District has placed this levy on the ballot now to ensure that it has the funds to continue providing quality education and programming to the thousands of students and families we serve. Inflation and the anticipation that District expenditures will outpace revenues next year have necessitated the timing of the ballot issue. The District is making this ballot request now in order to avoid the potential disruption of education that would occur if expenses exceeded revenues. Additionally, fixed revenues that districts receive from levies do not account for operational costs that have risen, due to inflation, since the last levy. These include teacher and staff wages, student services, and safety measures.  

If approved, the levy would pay for core operational costs. The funds would enable the District to maintain programs, attract and retain teachers, and keep technology, safety, and security up to date.

The levy would cost about $14 more per month per $100,000 of property valuation, per the Cuyahoga County fiscal officer. If voters approve the levy, the district will begin collecting taxes on it in 2027.