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School budgets

Polaris forecasts no shortfall through FY2030

Polaris – 050948 (Cuyahoga) · Fiscal Year 2027 First Required Forecast (Fall)

Submission date: 08/17/2026

Polaris’ 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, Polaris stays above zero through FY2030 if its current levies are renewed and no new one passes. A career center serves pupils from several districts, so it is in no county’s total and not in Ohio’s.

FY2027 fallfiled July–August 2026 FY2026 spring updatefiled February 2026
Cash, June 30, 2026
$9.8M

5.0 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

Polaris Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

Polaris 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.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Cuyahoga County →

Polaris: 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. 9,789,014 9,910,313 9,580,379
08.010 Already committedEncumbrances: purchase orders and contracts signed, not yet paid. − 252,947 − 250,000 − 250,000
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 9,536,067 9,660,313 9,330,379
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 9,536,067 9,660,313 9,330,379
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 9,536,067 9,660,313 9,330,379

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.

Polaris’ forecast, line by line

Each line as Polaris 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.

 10,652,552 11,709,000 12,543,303 12,557,756 12,685,334 13,235,082 13,655,645
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 545,903 567,834 555,596 584,999 590,849 596,758 598,576
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 3,565,434 4,057,296 4,602,185 4,682,386 4,682,386 4,682,386 4,682,386
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 2,003,851 2,379,327 2,417,725 2,419,011 2,419,011 2,419,011 2,419,011
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.

 1,296,174 1,468,631 1,634,361 1,699,736 1,716,733 1,751,068 1,786,089
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 993,913 1,297,053 1,099,209 1,073,800 1,073,200 1,057,654 1,067,297
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 19,057,827 21,479,141 22,852,379 23,017,688 23,167,513 23,741,958 24,209,004
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

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

 0 2,993 176,132 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 2,993 176,132 0 0 0 0
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 19,057,827 21,482,134 23,028,511 23,017,688 23,167,513 23,741,958 24,209,004
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 10,079,010 10,894,216 11,429,824 11,495,492 11,843,575 12,329,972 12,837,343
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 4,101,818 4,642,178 4,962,139 5,164,896 5,259,746 5,477,158 5,703,902
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 2,074,951 1,949,487 2,109,369 2,322,650 2,392,329 2,464,099 2,538,022
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 1,308,964 1,466,350 1,637,128 1,552,613 1,614,717 1,679,306 1,746,478
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 791,008 1,996,546 3,027,463 1,522,680 1,219,128 1,041,480 973,004
04.300 Other Objects

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

 269,729 284,760 327,299 300,000 309,000 318,270 327,818
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 18,625,480 21,233,537 23,493,221 22,358,330 22,638,495 23,310,285 24,126,567
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 426,783 232,766 168,267 533,059 483,491 435,996 438,576
05.020 Advances-Out

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

 2,993 0 0 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000
05.040 Total Other Financing Uses

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

 429,776 232,766 168,267 538,059 488,491 440,996 443,576
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 19,055,256 21,466,303 23,661,488 22,896,389 23,126,986 23,751,281 24,570,143
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.

 2,571 15,831 (632,977) 121,299 40,527 (9,323) (361,138)
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.

 10,403,589 10,406,160 10,421,991 9,789,014 9,910,313 9,950,840 9,941,517
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.

 10,406,160 10,421,991 9,789,014 9,910,313 9,950,840 9,941,517 9,580,379
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

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

 100,000 100,000 252,947 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000
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.

 10,306,160 10,321,991 9,536,067 9,660,313 9,700,840 9,691,517 9,330,379
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.

 10,306,160 10,321,991 9,536,067 9,660,313 9,700,840 9,691,517 9,330,379
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.

 10,306,160 10,321,991 9,536,067 9,660,313 9,700,840 9,691,517 9,330,379

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.

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.