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School budgets

Lakewood City forecasts no shortfall through FY2030

Lakewood City – 044198 (Cuyahoga) · Fiscal Year 2027 First Required Forecast (Fall)

Submission date: 08/28/2026

Lakewood City’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, Lakewood City stays above zero through FY2030 if its current levies are renewed and no new one passes.

FY2027 fallfiled July–August 2026 FY2026 spring updatefiled February 2026
Cash, June 30, 2026
$46.1M

6.1 months of that year’s spending

Runs short
Not by FY2030

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

Lakewood City Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

Lakewood City Schools has no tax issue on this ballot, on the Ohio Secretary of State’s list of local questions and issues as of September 18, 2026.

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 2 Lakewood City Schools tax issues — 2 passed and 0 failed. Of the issues asking for new money, 2 of 2 passed.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Cuyahoga County →

Lakewood City: 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. 46,072,540 47,128,946 44,113,149
08.010 Already committedEncumbrances: purchase orders and contracts signed, not yet paid. − 250,000 − 250,000 − 250,000
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 45,822,540 46,878,946 43,863,149
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 45,822,540 46,878,946 43,863,149
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 45,822,540 46,878,946 43,863,149

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.

Lakewood City’s forecast, line by line

Each line as Lakewood City 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.

 49,385,651 49,747,540 51,050,366 57,604,189 64,299,952 65,703,894 65,747,950
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 2,840,037 2,929,469 3,065,622 3,325,554 3,519,073 3,582,346 3,610,843
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 16,997,811 17,362,664 17,847,100 17,479,542 17,442,098 17,440,490 17,437,014
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 2,219,307 1,447,513 969,206 995,615 1,023,481 1,024,481 1,026,037
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.

 5,092,936 5,237,501 5,353,612 5,987,006 5,512,902 4,413,970 4,415,332
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 9,791,269 9,548,282 10,003,512 9,890,748 9,614,193 9,399,431 9,237,629
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 86,327,011 86,272,968 88,289,418 95,282,654 101,411,699 101,564,612 101,474,805
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 86,327,011 86,272,968 88,289,418 95,282,654 101,411,699 101,564,612 101,474,805
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 50,442,491 51,723,067 53,363,145 55,714,140 57,904,145 60,182,763 62,552,772
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 19,238,087 20,192,304 20,459,819 22,100,569 23,400,370 24,784,050 26,257,203
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 10,511,684 10,863,097 11,803,991 11,858,309 12,216,553 12,521,967 12,835,016
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 2,451,730 3,974,938 2,543,482 3,011,725 3,163,873 3,322,067 3,488,170
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 170,616 114,603 312,430 141,998 141,998 141,998 141,998
04.300 Other Objects

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

 1,352,037 1,382,965 1,690,401 1,399,508 1,434,495 1,470,358 1,507,117
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 84,166,645 88,250,974 90,173,268 94,226,249 98,261,434 102,423,203 106,782,276
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 84,166,645 88,250,974 90,173,268 94,226,249 98,261,434 102,423,203 106,782,276
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.

 2,160,366 (1,978,006) (1,883,850) 1,056,405 3,150,265 (858,591) (5,307,471)
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.

 47,774,030 49,934,396 47,956,391 46,072,540 47,128,946 50,279,210 49,420,619
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.

 49,934,396 47,956,391 46,072,540 47,128,946 50,279,210 49,420,619 44,113,149
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

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

 500,000 500,000 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000
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.

 49,434,396 47,456,391 45,822,540 46,878,946 50,029,210 49,170,619 43,863,149
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.

 49,434,396 47,456,391 45,822,540 46,878,946 50,029,210 49,170,619 43,863,149
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.

 49,434,396 47,456,391 45,822,540 46,878,946 50,029,210 49,170,619 43,863,149
20.010 Kindergarten - October count

Kindergarten pupils enrolled, counted each October.

 287 307 273 328 272 289 273
20.015 Grades 1-12 - October count

Pupils in grades 1 to 12, counted each October.

 3,779 3,764 3,690 3,479 3,502 3,472 3,470

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.

Lakewood City’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.