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School budgets

Northwestern Local forecasts running short in FY2030

Northwestern Local – 046268 (Clark) · Fiscal Year 2027 First Required Forecast (Fall)

Submission date: 08/25/2026

Northwestern 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, Northwestern Local goes below zero in 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
$8.8M

4.8 months of that year’s spending

Runs short
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

Northwestern Local Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  1. Property tax, 1 mill

    Renewal School buildings

    Permanent improvements · 5 years · from 2026

    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.

    Building money: kept outside the general fund, so a budget forecast never shows it.

  2. Property tax, 4.32 mills

    Renewal Schools

    Current operating expenses · 5 years · from 2026

    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. Northwestern Local sits at Ohio’s 20-mill floor on the state’s 2025 rates, so its operating levies, this one among them, are no longer cut when homes are revalued: what they collect rises with values, which a 2025 law holds to inflation.

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 5 Northwestern Local Schools tax issues — 2 passed and 3 failed. Renewals passed 1 of 1; of the other 4 (replacements), 1 passed.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Clark County →

Northwestern 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. 8,766,774 6,998,225 (4,980,960)
08.010 Already committedEncumbrances: purchase orders and contracts signed, not yet paid. − 0 − 405,313 − 405,313
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 8,766,774 6,592,912 (5,386,273)
11.300 Renewal leviesExisting levies the district expects voters to renew, added year by year. + 0 + 864,695 + 4,999,929
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 8,766,774 7,457,607 (386,344)
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 8,766,774 7,457,607 (386,344)

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.

Northwestern Local’s forecast, line by line

Each line as Northwestern 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.

 6,962,037 6,973,940 7,969,738 6,392,223 6,043,515 6,245,100 6,315,210
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 424,003 429,584 504,077 478,298 448,413 459,863 471,313
01.030 Income Tax

The school district income tax its residents pay on their earnings, where voters have approved one.

 2,810,588 3,066,252 3,183,227 3,277,852 3,359,799 3,426,995 3,495,534
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 7,945,501 7,903,701 7,871,105 7,502,358 7,504,619 7,506,926 7,509,279
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 476,115 485,839 442,637 408,989 408,989 408,989 408,989
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.

 619,099 989,050 665,457 1,155,036 1,100,442 1,098,385 1,177,912
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 1,601,267 1,520,005 1,452,748 1,452,748 1,452,748 1,452,748 1,452,748
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 20,838,610 21,368,371 22,088,989 20,667,504 20,318,525 20,599,006 20,830,985
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

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

 15,644 10,154 7,444 7,444 7,444 7,444 7,444
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

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

 15,644 10,154 7,444 7,444 7,444 7,444 7,444
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 20,854,254 21,378,525 22,096,433 20,674,948 20,325,969 20,606,450 20,838,429
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 10,399,123 11,239,663 11,123,151 11,605,257 12,101,827 12,620,362 13,161,734
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 4,155,323 4,327,294 4,376,693 4,672,714 4,995,823 5,343,887 5,719,174
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 3,636,804 4,018,339 4,517,120 4,684,145 4,819,943 4,959,808 5,103,863
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 903,397 777,665 1,036,666 813,978 838,397 863,549 889,457
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 319,296 526,079 552,699 259,345 369,345 369,345 369,345
04.300 Other Objects

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

 287,198 302,190 297,337 297,337 297,337 297,337 297,337
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 19,701,141 21,191,230 21,903,666 22,332,776 23,422,673 24,454,288 25,540,910
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 430,620 430,620 110,721 110,721 110,721 110,721 110,721
05.040 Total Other Financing Uses

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

 430,620 430,620 110,721 110,721 110,721 110,721 110,721
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 20,131,761 21,621,850 22,014,387 22,443,497 23,533,394 24,565,009 25,651,631
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.

 722,493 (243,325) 82,046 (1,768,549) (3,207,425) (3,958,559) (4,813,202)
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.

 8,205,560 8,928,053 8,684,728 8,766,774 6,998,225 3,790,801 (167,758)
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.

 8,928,053 8,684,728 8,766,774 6,998,225 3,790,801 (167,758) (4,980,960)
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

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

 694,329 1,568,387 0 405,313 405,313 405,313 405,313
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.

 8,233,724 7,116,341 8,766,774 6,592,912 3,385,488 (573,071) (5,386,273)
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 0 864,695 1,426,787 1,424,590 1,283,857
11.300 Cumulative Balance of Replacement/Renewal Levies

The renewals above, added up year after year.

 0 0 0 864,695 2,291,482 3,716,072 4,999,929
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.

 8,233,724 7,116,341 8,766,774 7,457,607 5,676,970 3,143,001 (386,344)
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.

 8,233,724 7,116,341 8,766,774 7,457,607 5,676,970 3,143,001 (386,344)

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.

Northwestern 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.