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School budgets

Northwestern Local forecasts no shortfall through FY2029

Northwestern Local – 050575 (Wayne) · Fiscal Year 2026 Required Update to Forecast

Submission date: 02/24/2026

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 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
$6.1M

4.0 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

Northwestern Local Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  1. Property tax, 1.8 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. 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.

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 2 Northwestern Local Schools tax issues — 1 passed and 1 failed. Renewals passed 1 of 2.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Wayne 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 ActualFY2025 BudgetFY2026 ForecastFY2029
07.020 Cash balance at June 30Everything in the general fund's account at the end of the year. 6,089,519 5,655,270 127,184
08.010 Already committedEncumbrances: purchase orders and contracts signed, not yet paid. − 213,156 − 213,156 − 213,156
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 5,876,363 5,442,114 (85,972)
11.300 Renewal leviesExisting levies the district expects voters to renew, added year by year. + 0 + 0 + 1,141,000
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 5,876,363 5,442,114 1,055,028
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 5,876,363 5,442,114 1,055,028

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 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.

 3,709,694 4,066,247 4,668,234 4,501,885 3,898,740 4,290,795 4,294,535
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 282,637 447,356 443,921 445,374 416,743 408,307 410,667
01.030 Income Tax

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

 2,814,794 2,851,339 2,998,283 3,233,073 3,193,842 3,225,781 3,258,039
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 8,001,207 8,449,307 8,453,671 8,381,369 8,308,444 8,531,540 8,412,336
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 553,816 722,928 663,516 543,024 520,992 549,471 546,974
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.

 459,380 523,600 583,788 592,248 1,109,554 618,976 619,646
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 935,515 1,188,066 1,319,019 1,124,102 1,027,196 1,027,196 1,027,196
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 16,757,043 18,248,843 19,130,432 18,821,075 18,475,511 18,652,066 18,569,393
02.050 Advances-In

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

 0 122,401 31,135 0 0 0 0
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

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

 0 122,401 31,135 0 0 0 0
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 16,757,043 18,371,244 19,161,567 18,821,075 18,475,511 18,652,066 18,569,393
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 8,142,365 8,578,803 10,519,805 10,384,004 11,035,123 11,252,237 11,461,820
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 3,386,553 4,021,394 4,607,634 5,464,132 5,412,575 5,483,757 5,734,577
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 1,786,555 1,956,962 2,085,380 2,412,210 2,484,576 2,559,114 2,635,888
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 554,345 598,407 541,611 643,293 662,592 682,469 702,944
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 126,382 104,567 152,403 125,000 128,750 132,613 136,591
04.300 Other Objects

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

 152,326 159,679 198,553 214,437 220,870 227,496 234,320
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 14,148,526 15,419,812 18,105,386 19,243,076 19,944,486 20,337,686 20,906,140
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 3,740 122,401 7,447,676 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000
05.020 Advances-Out

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

 13,354 31,135 2,248 2,248 2,248 2,248 2,248
05.040 Total Other Financing Uses

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

 17,094 153,536 7,449,924 12,248 12,248 12,248 12,248
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 14,165,620 15,573,348 25,555,310 19,255,324 19,956,734 20,349,934 20,918,388
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.

 2,591,423 2,797,896 (6,393,743) (434,249) (1,481,223) (1,697,868) (2,348,995)
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.

 7,093,943 9,685,366 12,483,262 6,089,519 5,655,270 4,174,047 2,476,179
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.

 9,685,366 12,483,262 6,089,519 5,655,270 4,174,047 2,476,179 127,184
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

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

 0 0 213,156 213,156 213,156 213,156 213,156
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.

 9,685,366 12,483,262 5,876,363 5,442,114 3,960,891 2,263,023 (85,972)
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 0 228,200 456,400 456,400
11.300 Cumulative Balance of Replacement/Renewal Levies

The renewals above, added up year after year.

 0 0 0 0 228,200 684,600 1,141,000
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.

 9,685,366 12,483,262 5,876,363 5,442,114 4,189,091 2,947,623 1,055,028
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.

 9,685,366 12,483,262 5,876,363 5,442,114 4,189,091 2,947,623 1,055,028
20.010 Kindergarten - October count

Kindergarten pupils enrolled, counted each October.

 48 48 48 48 48 48 48
20.015 Grades 1-12 - October count

Pupils in grades 1 to 12, counted each October.

 471 471 471 471 471 471 471

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.