Cincinnati Public Schools will put a 5-year, 7-mill property tax on the ballot this November, expected to generate an estimated $66.3 million annually for the school district.
Before the start of the current school year, CPS cut more than 100 jobs district-wide and eliminated several programs to help close a $58 million budget gap. On Monday night, volunteers with the YES for CPS campaign held a levy party in Westwood to spread the word about the levy's importance in helping the district avoid a similar fate next summer.
School leaders say the new levy is critical for funding the district over the next few years. Without it, CPS says it will consider closing or consolidating schools, eliminating teaching positions, cutting student support services, and introducing pay-to-play fees for athletics and other extracurriculars to balance its budget.
Organizers say Monday's event was designed to encourage local families to spread the word about the levy's importance by putting up yard signs, sending handwritten postcards to voters, and talking with their neighbors about the ballot issue. Attendees also got to print their own T-shirts with slogans like "Vote Yes for CPS."
CPS parent and levy campaign volunteer Leslie Mattie Rich told WVXU the weeks leading up to November's midterm election will be critical, and she'll be spending that time telling everyone she can why they should vote "yes" on the new tax.
"I am going to be having conversations with every single person that I run into who is a registered voter in the city of Cincinnati, making sure they have the facts about this district and what this levy will do," she said.
Mattie Rich says she's proud of what the school district has accomplished recently despite dwindling state financial support. Last week, CPS met Ohio's academic standards for the first time in years, securing a three-star rating on the state's annual School Report Cards.
Sarah Beach, another parent and volunteer, says that's worth celebrating and should motivate others to rally in support of the school district. She says people interested can volunteer to help with the levy campaign, or just be a vocal supporter of the ballot issue in their communities.
"Talk to your friends and neighbors about why supporting this Cincinnati Public Schools levy is so vital," Beach said.
The YES for CPS volunteers say they're also planning "honk and wave" events outside of school buildings district-wide Oct. 5.
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