If You Think Property Taxes are High, Just Wait until Elon-Trump Kill U.S. Dept. of Ed
Some Ohio school districts who've already more than doubled their property tax reliance in the last 15 years would have to raise taxes by as much as $5,500 per $200,000 home to make up loss
I live not far from Canton, whose schools are considered among Ohio’s so-called “Big 8” major urban districts (Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown). I know board members, teachers and officials in Canton. And I don’t envy their fiscal position.
Since I left the Ohio House in 2010, they have seen their share of education funding coming from local sources more than double. However, even that 15-year increase would pale in comparison to what would happen to Canton property taxpayers if Elon Musk and Donald Trump fulfill their goal of killing the U.S. Department of Education.
Canton receives almost $59 million from federal sources. If that money went away, Canton would have to raise property tax bills on its already overstretched residents by — get this — an astonishing $5,524 per $200,000 of home value.
That would be the state’s largest property tax increase, but certainly not an outlier.
Lima would need to tax its property owners $4,351. East Cleveland, $4,163. Steubenville, $3,381.
Here are the state’s 25 most hurt districts:
These districts will be presented a Sophie’s Choice if these cuts occur: hammer their property owners (again) with massive property tax increases, or hammer their students with devastating cuts.
When you examine the impact of these Musk-Trump cuts, you start to see another familiar pattern: The largest property tax increases would happen in the state’s poorest districts. Canton’s potential $5,524 property tax hike for a $200,000 home represents 14% of the $39,000 average income in that district.
Just devastating for these families.
The typical property tax hike1 per $200,000 of home value in Ohio’s school districts would need to be $437 to make up for the Musk-Trump cuts. That’s on top of the current 20-30% property tax hike from the state’s most recent revaluation period that’s caused so much angst legislators are trying desperately to fix it. And it’s on top of the nation’s climbing inflation rate.
In a state whose system of funding public schools has been declared unconstitutional 4 different times primarily because it relied too much on local property taxes, the Musk-Trump plan to end the U.S. Department of Education would force local property taxpayers — especially those who earn the least amount of money in the state — to increase their rates exponentially, or have their kids face devastating cuts to their programming, services and educational experiences.
What’s that look like? Massive class sizes. No AP or other classes beyond the basics. All athletic programs would be strict pay-to-play systems, as would band, theater, etc.
It would be one thing if Musk-Trump were doing this through the legislative process so people could testify about these cuts. But they’re doing it in the dead of night with no discussion, thought or input from anyone but right-wing Internet trolls.
I do have one silver lining, I suppose.
I doubt that people in these communities who are going to be devastated by these cuts and/or property tax hikes will forget who did it to them and their kids.
If Ohio Republicans aren’t careful, these cuts could cost them even their extremely gerrymandered control of this state.
By typical, I mean median. The average would be $594, but averages are more skewed by outliers. Suffice it to say, property tax bills would skyrocket, no matter how you look at it.