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School budgets

Cincinnati Public Schools forecasts no shortfall through FY2029

Cincinnati Public Schools – 043752 (Hamilton) · Fiscal Year 2026 Required Update to Forecast

Submission date: 02/24/2026

Cincinnati Public Schools’ own notes and assumptions for this forecast (PDF) →

Every Ohio school district files a budget forecast with the state: three years of actual figures, this year’s budget and the years ahead. On its own forecast, Cincinnati Public Schools stays above zero through FY2029 if its current levies are renewed and no new one passes.

FY2027 fallfiled July–August 2026 FY2026 spring updatefiled February 2026
Cash, June 30, 2025
$59.7M

1.2 months of that year’s spending

Runs short
Not by FY2029

on its own forecast, if its levies are renewed and no new one passes

New levy in the forecast
None

it counts no levy voters have not approved

Cincinnati Public Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  1. Property tax, 7 mills

    New Schools

    Current expenses · 5 years · from 2026

    $245 a year for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s value

    $100,000 × 35% = $35,000 taxed × 7 mills ($7.00 for each $1,000) = $245

    For a home the county values at $200,000: $490 a year $250,000: $612.50 a year $300,000: $735 a year

    These are first-year figures. A levy approved now is charged at its full voted rate, with none of the state’s rollback credits; when the county next revalues homes, the state lowers its rate so that it collects the same dollars. Your home’s county value is on your tax bill.

    What would it cost my home? →

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 3 Cincinnati Public Schools tax issues — 3 passed and 0 failed. Renewals passed 3 of 3.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Hamilton County →

Cincinnati Public Schools: cash, unencumbered, unreserved — four different balances

The forecast has four balance lines, and each is the one before it with something taken away or added. They are easy to mix up, and they are not the same number.

Line ActualFY2025 BudgetFY2026 ForecastFY2029
07.020 Cash balance at June 30Everything in the general fund's account at the end of the year. 59,683,203 55,612,678 55,612,678
08.010 Already committedEncumbrances: purchase orders and contracts signed, not yet paid. − 17,553,076 − 16,500,000 − 16,500,000
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 42,130,127 39,112,678 39,112,678
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 42,130,127 39,112,678 39,112,678
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 42,130,127 39,112,678 39,112,678

Swipe sideways for more columns.

For past years the state asks for no renewal or new-levy money, so the unencumbered and unreserved balances are the same; cash is larger by what is already committed and set aside. In a forecast year the unreserved balance counts any new levy as if it had passed.

Cincinnati Public Schools’ forecast, line by line

Each line as Cincinnati Public Schools filed it with the state, in the state’s own format. Tap or hover over a line to see what it means.

Forecast line and description ActualFY2023 ActualFY2024 ActualFY2025 Current year budgetFY2026 Forecast year 1FY2027 Forecast year 2FY2028 Forecast year 3FY2029
01.010 General Property Tax (Real Estate)

Property tax on land and buildings — homes, farms and businesses — from levies voters have already approved.

 285,580,173 299,364,227 319,458,503 315,957,732 317,303,682 319,142,958 319,417,003
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

Property tax on the equipment of utilities, such as power lines, pipelines and power plants.

 43,105,932 44,575,966 44,742,951 45,387,789 46,967,842 47,710,388 48,291,416
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

State aid the district may spend on anything — mostly Ohio's school funding formula.

 118,392,171 133,523,174 129,591,256 124,817,081 126,086,708 126,693,878 127,200,013
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

State aid that must be spent on set purposes, such as help for pupils from low-income families.

 31,600,162 33,904,482 33,520,268 34,020,807 30,578,515 29,047,969 28,608,501
01.050 State Reimbursement for Property Tax Credits

The part of homeowners' property tax the state pays for them: the 10% and 2.5% rollbacks and the homestead exemption.

 22,812,153 24,660,615 26,700,629 26,771,288 27,098,283 27,338,314 27,369,919
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

Everything else that comes in: fees, tuition from other districts, interest, rentals and gifts.

 48,497,368 55,814,826 57,457,253 67,959,564 64,503,623 65,230,362 65,560,415
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 549,987,959 591,843,290 611,470,860 614,914,261 612,538,653 615,163,869 616,447,267
02.010 Proceeds From Sale of Notes

Short-term borrowing (notes) brought into the general fund.

 0 75,000,000 0 0 0 0 0
02.050 Advances-In

Money the general fund lent to the district's other funds, coming back.

 19,400,000 13,350,000 11,700,000 9,500,000 9,000,000 9,000,000 9,000,000
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

One-off money, such as refunds of past spending or the sale of property.

 5,914,650 3,027,117 7,193,514 7,779,099 6,341,890 6,405,309 6,469,362
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

All of the other money coming in, lines 2.010 to 2.060, added together.

 25,314,650 91,377,117 18,893,514 17,279,099 15,341,890 15,405,309 15,469,362
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

Everything coming in for the year: revenue plus other money coming in.

 575,302,609 683,220,407 630,364,374 632,193,360 627,880,543 630,569,178 631,916,629
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 317,063,872 338,683,267 358,373,576 367,723,622 371,778,646 375,461,180 376,940,353
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

The district's share of staff pensions (STRS and SERS), health insurance, Medicare and workers' compensation.

 105,207,782 110,119,399 116,144,034 117,240,587 118,133,374 118,664,209 118,765,710
03.030 Purchased Services

Services bought from outside: utilities, repairs, contracted services and tuition paid for pupils taught elsewhere.

 129,850,162 105,516,320 126,647,175 111,722,030 101,646,904 100,354,153 99,995,661
03.040 Supplies and Materials

Textbooks, classroom supplies, fuel, food and other things the district buys.

 18,190,557 14,940,637 16,363,668 12,893,858 9,336,081 8,842,850 8,889,266
03.050 Capital Outlay

Equipment, buses and building improvements paid for from the general fund.

 4,043,573 1,189,154 427,689 258,606 259,751 264,468 269,827
04.020 Principal-Notes

Repaying short-term notes.

 0 75,000,000 0 0 0 0 0
04.060 Interest and Fiscal Charges

Interest and fees on the district's borrowing.

 0 1,042,875 0 0 0 0 0
04.300 Other Objects

Other costs, such as the county's fees for collecting its taxes, audits, elections, insurance and memberships.

 4,644,220 5,458,256 3,991,830 3,992,654 3,993,259 3,999,790 4,023,284
04.500 Total Expenditures

Everything the district spends in the year, lines 3.010 to 4.300, added together.

 579,000,166 651,949,908 621,947,972 613,831,357 605,148,015 607,586,650 608,884,101
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

Money moved out of the general fund to the district's other funds, such as food service or athletics.

 19,112,117 14,292,935 13,343,392 13,432,528 13,732,528 13,982,528 14,032,528
05.020 Advances-Out

Money the general fund lends to the district's other funds for a while.

 13,350,000 11,700,000 9,500,000 9,000,000 9,000,000 9,000,000 9,000,000
05.030 All Other Financing Uses

Other one-off money going out.

 1,154 918,462 0 0 0 0 0
05.040 Total Other Financing Uses

All of the other money going out, lines 5.010 to 5.030, added together.

 32,463,271 26,911,397 22,843,392 22,432,528 22,732,528 22,982,528 23,032,528
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

Everything going out for the year: spending plus other money going out.

 611,463,437 678,861,305 644,791,364 636,263,885 627,880,543 630,569,178 631,916,629
06.010 Excess Of Revenues and Other Financing Sources over (under) Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

The year's result: money in minus money out. A number in brackets means the district spent more than it took in.

 (36,160,828) 4,359,102 (14,426,990) (4,070,525) 0 0 0
07.010 Beginning Cash Balance July 1 - Excluding Proposed Renewal/Replacement and New Levies

Cash in the general fund on July 1, the start of the school year — last year's ending cash.

 105,911,919 69,751,091 74,110,193 59,683,203 55,612,678 55,612,678 55,612,678
07.020 Ending Cash Balance June 30 - Excluding Proposed Renewal/Replacement and New Levies

Cash on June 30, the end of the year: the starting cash plus the year's result, before any renewal or new levy.

 69,751,091 74,110,193 59,683,203 55,612,678 55,612,678 55,612,678 55,612,678
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

Money already committed: purchase orders and contracts signed but not yet paid.

 16,469,358 20,401,123 17,553,076 16,500,000 16,500,000 16,500,000 16,500,000
10.010 Fund Balance June 30 For Certification of Appropriations

What is free to spend: the ending cash less money already committed and money set aside — often called the unencumbered balance.

 53,281,733 53,709,070 42,130,127 39,112,678 39,112,678 39,112,678 39,112,678
11.010 Income Tax - Renewal

An existing income tax the district expects voters to renew. Not yet voted on.

 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11.020 Property Tax - Renewal or Replacement

Existing property tax levies the district expects voters to renew or replace. Not yet voted on.

 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11.300 Cumulative Balance of Replacement/Renewal Levies

The renewals above, added up year after year.

 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12.010 Fund Balance June 30 For Certificates of Contracts Salary Schedules, and Other Obligations

The balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does.

 53,281,733 53,709,070 42,130,127 39,112,678 39,112,678 39,112,678 39,112,678
13.010 Income Tax - New

A new income tax the district has written into its forecast. Not yet voted on.

 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13.020 Property Tax - New

A new property tax levy the district has written into its forecast. Not yet voted on.

 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13.030 Cumulative Balance of New Levies

The new levies above, added up year after year.

 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15.010 Unreserved Fund Balance June 30

The state's bottom line: the balance with renewals and new levies counted as if voters approve them.

 53,281,733 53,709,070 42,130,127 39,112,678 39,112,678 39,112,678 39,112,678

Swipe sideways for more columns.

Dollars, except the two enrolment lines (20.010 and 20.015), which are pupils. A line that is zero in every year is left out, as the state’s report leaves it out — except the renewal and new-levy lines (11 and 13), which are always shown, because a zero there is the answer.

Cincinnati Public Schools’ levies, spending and test scores →

Another county or district

From the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s bulk forecast files — the filings its Forecast Submissions report shows one district at a time, to the dollar. A county’s figures are the traditional districts the state files under it, added together; Ohio’s are all of them. Each district writes its own forecast, and nothing here is estimated. The 49 career centers file their own forecasts and are listed under their home county, but are in no total: each serves several counties.