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School budgets

Lake Local forecasts running short in FY2028

Lake Local – 050690 (Wood) · Fiscal Year 2027 First Required Forecast (Fall)

Submission date: 08/28/2026

Lake Local’s 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, Lake Local goes below zero in FY2028 if its current levies are renewed and no new one passes. It has written in a new income tax levy from FY2027 — $3,388,771 in FY2030 — that voters have not approved.

FY2027 fallfiled July–August 2026 FY2026 spring updatefiled February 2026
Cash, June 30, 2026
$2.6M

1.4 months of that year’s spending

Runs short
FY2028

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

New levy in the forecast
Income tax

from FY2027, not yet approved by voters

Lake Local Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  1. Income tax, 1%

    New Schools

    Current expenses · Continuing · from Jan 1, 2027

    $100 a year for every $10,000 of income it taxes

    Paid by the people who live in the district, on their income; the ballot says whether on all of it or on earnings only.

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 1 Lake Local Schools tax issue — 1 passed and 0 failed. Of the issues asking for new money, 1 of 1 passed.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Wood County →

Lake Local: 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 ActualFY2026 BudgetFY2027 ForecastFY2030
07.020 Cash balance at June 30Everything in the general fund's account at the end of the year. 2,647,402 1,444,210 (8,845,948)
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 2,647,402 1,444,210 (8,845,948)
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 2,647,402 1,444,210 (8,845,948)
13.030 New leviesLevies the district has written into its forecast. Not yet voted on. + 0 + 176,623 + 8,855,110
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 2,647,402 1,620,833 9,162

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.

Lake Local’s forecast, line by line

Each line as Lake Local 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 ActualFY2024 ActualFY2025 ActualFY2026 Current year budgetFY2027 Forecast year 1FY2028 Forecast year 2FY2029 Forecast year 3FY2030
01.010 General Property Tax (Real Estate)

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

 8,096,877 8,218,969 8,152,610 8,460,408 8,523,494 8,538,193 8,704,986
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 1,943,252 1,996,855 2,056,858 2,164,540 2,215,241 2,243,510 2,271,778
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 6,691,647 6,638,780 6,530,396 6,402,995 6,372,014 6,398,547 6,420,655
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 448,162 518,978 398,088 375,421 342,657 315,612 292,659
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.

 913,216 952,089 921,602 943,411 955,656 958,224 982,408
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 3,382,088 2,926,711 2,961,990 2,525,598 2,489,447 2,489,222 2,489,138
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 21,475,242 21,252,383 21,021,545 20,872,373 20,898,509 20,943,308 21,161,624
02.040 Operating Transfers-In

Money moved into the general fund from the district's other funds.

 0 0 0 1,000,000 0 0 0
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

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

 (4,400) 135,395 0 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

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

 (4,400) 135,395 0 1,025,000 25,000 25,000 25,000
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 21,470,842 21,387,778 21,021,545 21,897,373 20,923,509 20,968,308 21,186,624
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 11,450,085 12,224,306 13,309,685 13,410,909 13,757,010 13,922,173 14,261,042
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 5,000,217 5,407,107 5,832,701 5,932,669 6,192,200 6,459,312 6,777,237
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 2,731,122 2,896,322 3,202,046 2,913,499 3,007,134 3,104,355 3,205,307
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 748,771 810,734 528,431 540,057 551,938 564,080 576,490
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 294,416 156,000 972 993 1,015 1,038 1,060
04.300 Other Objects

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

 250,264 256,511 294,274 296,113 309,041 322,544 336,649
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 20,474,875 21,750,980 23,168,109 23,094,240 23,818,338 24,373,502 25,157,785
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 16,211 5,805 0 6,325 6,325 6,325 6,325
05.040 Total Other Financing Uses

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

 16,211 5,805 0 6,325 6,325 6,325 6,325
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 20,491,086 21,756,785 23,168,109 23,100,565 23,824,663 24,379,827 25,164,110
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.

 979,756 (369,007) (2,146,564) (1,203,192) (2,901,154) (3,411,519) (3,977,486)
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.

 4,183,218 5,162,974 4,793,966 2,647,402 1,444,210 (1,456,944) (4,868,462)
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.

 5,162,974 4,793,966 2,647,402 1,444,210 (1,456,944) (4,868,462) (8,845,948)
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

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

 393,233 787,603 0 0 0 0 0
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.

 4,769,741 4,006,363 2,647,402 1,444,210 (1,456,944) (4,868,462) (8,845,948)
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.

 4,769,741 4,006,363 2,647,402 1,444,210 (1,456,944) (4,868,462) (8,845,948)
13.010 Income Tax - New

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

 0 0 0 176,623 2,107,504 3,182,212 3,388,771
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 0 176,623 2,284,127 5,466,339 8,855,110
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.

 4,769,741 4,006,363 2,647,402 1,620,833 827,183 597,877 9,162
20.010 Kindergarten - October count

Kindergarten pupils enrolled, counted each October.

 112 119 106 118 111 123 102
20.015 Grades 1-12 - October count

Pupils in grades 1 to 12, counted each October.

 1,371 1,373 1,343 1,308 1,292 1,258 1,256

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.

Lake Local’s 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.