Over the past several weeks, we’ve been following the developments of House Bill 96 closely—first through discussions with our local political representatives and now as it moves to the Ohio Senate. I want to take a moment to speak directly to our Midview community, not just as your superintendent, but as a fellow taxpayer, parent, and neighbor who cares deeply about the financial health and future of our schools.
What is House Bill 96?
House Bill 96 is being labeled as the “state budget” by many, but in its current form, it’s far more than that—it’s a fundamental shift in how local school districts like Midview are allowed to manage your taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, that shift is not for the better.
Among the most damaging provisions are:
30% Carryover Cap: School districts are now restricted to carrying over no more than 30% of their annual operating budget into the next fiscal year. Think of this like a district’s “savings account”—a responsible reserve that allows us to sustain operations during the early years of a levy cycle and stretch funding over a longer period without returning to the community to ask for new money. These cash balances are not signs of excess or inefficiency; they are evidence of sound fiscal planning and prudent stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
An added provision giving county budget commissions the power to reduce property tax collections—even on voter-approved school levies, without approval.
Why should this matter to you?
Midview has worked hard to be fiscally responsible. We don’t go to the ballot year after year, quite the contrary. The last time Midview passed a levy requesting new money from the community was in 2013. We’ve built a financial model that stretches those levy dollars across multiple years by saving in the early years and spending wisely throughout. It’s the same logic any responsible household would use when planning for retirement, emergencies, or major life expenses.
Yet under HB96, that exact practice—the kind of long-term financial planning that keeps us off the ballot and stable—would be punished. The bill assumes that if a district has more than 30% of one year’s expenses saved, it’s hoarding money. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It would also erase the 12+ years of smart, fiscal planning done by the district and require us to go back to the taxpayers much sooner than promised.
Let me be very clear: Midview’s cash balance is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. It’s how we avoid layoffs, cutbacks, and uncertainty when unexpected costs arise. It’s how we protect and expand academic programs and services when state funding fluctuates. And it’s how we honor the trust you placed in us when you voted for our last levy.
Now imagine this: Under HB96, if Midview responsibly saves funds and exceeds that 30% threshold, the county budget commission could step in and reduce our tax collection—without a public vote, without a hearing, and without input from our community. What may seem like tax relief in the short term will only lead to additional levies and taxes in the long term, while straining the relationship between school and community.
This would be unprecedented, undemocratic, and dangerously short-sighted.
It would reverse over 50 years of sound policy that has ensured voter-approved tax levies stay in place and can’t be tampered with by local political bodies. This kind of political interference would introduce instability, pit schools against their own communities, and jeopardize essential services.
What does this mean for Midview?
In practical terms, HB96 would:
Force us to go back to the ballot more often.
Penalize us for doing what you’ve asked us to do: be responsible stewards of your tax dollars.
Create uncertainty in our long-term planning.
Make school funding vulnerable to political manipulation at the county level.
Undermine the very principle of local control over public education.
We don’t need less flexibility—we need more. And we certainly don’t need legislation that ties our hands and undoes the hard work we’ve done as a community to build a strong, stable school system.
What can you do?
Please take a moment to reach out and voice your concerns to our elected officials. Let them know that
Midview—and districts like us across the state—deserve better.
Representative Gayle Manning (Rep54@ohiohouse.gov)
Senator Nathan Manning (manning@ohiosenate.gov)
We need them to know that House Bill 96, in its current form, is unacceptable. It’s a solution in search of a problem and threatens to undo decades of responsible financial planning.
Thank you for your continued support of Midview Local Schools. We’ve built something strong here—but that strength depends on our ability to plan for the future without interference, and with your continued trust.
Let’s stand together to protect that future.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Frank Major
Superintendent, Midview Local Schools