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School budgets

Madison Local forecasts running short in FY2029

Madison Local – 049452 (Richland) · Fiscal Year 2026 Required Update to Forecast

Submission date: 02/26/2026

Madison 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, Madison Local goes below zero in FY2029 if its current levies are renewed and no new one passes. It has written in a new income tax levy from FY2027 — $6,597,188 in FY2029 — that voters have not approved.

FY2027 fallfiled July–August 2026 FY2026 spring updatefiled February 2026
Cash, June 30, 2025
$240.1K

0.1 months of that year’s spending

Runs short
FY2029

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

Madison Local Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  1. Property tax, 14.4 mills

    Renewal Schools

    Current expenses · 5 years · from 2027

    Continues a levy already on the bill. If it passes, the levy keeps going as it is today; if it fails, it ends when its current term runs out. When homes are revalued, the state cuts its rate so it collects the same total — so a home whose value rose more than most pays a little more of it.

Madison Township has 2 tax issues of its own on this ballot: see them on Richland County’s ballot.

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 5 Madison Local Schools tax issues — 2 passed and 3 failed. Renewals passed 1 of 1; of the issues asking for new money, 1 of 4 passed.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Richland County →

Madison 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 ActualFY2025 BudgetFY2026 ForecastFY2029
07.020 Cash balance at June 30Everything in the general fund's account at the end of the year. 240,116 382,832 (4,857,105)
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 240,116 382,832 (4,857,105)
11.300 Renewal leviesExisting levies the district expects voters to renew, added year by year. + 0 + 0 + 2,622,775
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 240,116 382,832 (2,234,330)
13.030 New leviesLevies the district has written into its forecast. Not yet voted on. + 0 + 0 + 11,630,842
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 240,116 382,832 9,396,512

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.

Madison Local’s forecast, line by line

Each line as Madison 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 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.

 10,013,973 11,897,123 12,950,445 12,970,067 13,181,021 12,673,072 11,196,145
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 1,948,626 2,236,871 2,526,788 3,022,105 3,134,503 3,174,573 3,005,582
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 16,168,095 17,281,461 17,554,923 17,568,381 17,329,297 17,332,734 17,336,246
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 2,087,213 2,395,391 2,191,183 2,097,357 2,065,933 2,065,933 2,065,933
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.

 1,828,073 1,667,625 1,532,062 1,412,813 1,430,510 1,370,795 1,343,365
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 1,165,808 1,841,003 2,167,176 1,712,722 1,607,051 1,630,263 1,654,795
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 33,211,788 37,319,474 38,922,577 38,783,445 38,748,315 38,247,370 36,602,066
02.050 Advances-In

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

 0 21,000 0 1,220,000 0 0 0
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

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

 137,298 231,949 144,625 174,750 174,750 174,750 174,750
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

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

 137,298 252,949 144,625 1,394,750 174,750 174,750 174,750
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 33,349,086 37,572,423 39,067,202 40,178,195 38,923,065 38,422,120 36,776,816
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 18,518,085 18,792,538 19,372,204 19,514,392 18,318,209 18,485,465 18,790,728
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 12,115,743 12,678,173 13,607,397 14,189,864 14,162,441 14,944,447 15,908,820
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 4,167,986 4,199,206 4,526,036 4,270,112 4,109,835 4,192,842 4,278,230
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 963,242 916,894 1,265,797 1,075,719 1,077,978 1,085,499 1,093,185
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 230,439 220,200 357,570 428,709 395,860 403,777 411,852
04.300 Other Objects

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

 407,769 531,009 508,612 541,683 547,101 552,572 558,097
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 36,403,264 37,338,020 39,637,616 40,020,479 38,611,424 39,664,602 41,040,912
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 45,000 35,000 58,535 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000
05.020 Advances-Out

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

 21,000 355,000 865,000 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.

 66,000 390,000 923,535 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 36,469,264 37,728,020 40,561,151 40,035,479 38,626,424 39,679,602 41,055,912
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.

 (3,120,178) (155,597) (1,493,949) 142,716 296,641 (1,257,482) (4,279,096)
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.

 5,009,840 1,889,662 1,734,065 240,116 382,832 679,473 (578,009)
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.

 1,889,662 1,734,065 240,116 382,832 679,473 (578,009) (4,857,105)
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.

 1,889,662 1,734,065 240,116 382,832 679,473 (578,009) (4,857,105)
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 0 930,662 1,692,113
11.300 Cumulative Balance of Replacement/Renewal Levies

The renewals above, added up year after year.

 0 0 0 0 0 930,662 2,622,775
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.

 1,889,662 1,734,065 240,116 382,832 679,473 352,653 (2,234,330)
13.010 Income Tax - New

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

 0 0 0 0 389,234 4,644,420 6,597,188
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 0 389,234 5,033,654 11,630,842
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.

 1,889,662 1,734,065 240,116 382,832 1,068,707 5,386,307 9,396,512

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.

Madison 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.