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School budgets

Southern Local forecasts no shortfall through FY2029

Southern Local – 046441 (Columbiana) · Fiscal Year 2026 Required Update to Forecast

Submission date: 02/24/2026

Southern 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, Southern 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
$5.5M

4.2 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

Southern Local Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

Southern Local 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 4 Southern Local Schools tax issues — 2 passed and 2 failed. Renewals passed 1 of 2; of the issues asking for new money, 1 of 2 passed.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Columbiana County →

Southern 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. 5,457,766 6,723,196 9,141,432
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 5,457,766 6,723,196 9,141,432
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 5,457,766 6,723,196 9,141,432
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 5,457,766 6,723,196 9,141,432

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.

Southern Local’s forecast, line by line

Each line as Southern 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.

 2,048,084 2,365,640 2,500,364 2,456,923 2,079,916 2,618,763 2,687,522
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 1,925,974 1,405,998 1,733,784 1,756,235 1,788,778 1,797,288 1,805,799
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 7,904,368 8,497,536 8,846,563 9,559,320 10,244,666 10,245,458 10,246,262
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 1,034,203 1,056,810 1,070,534 967,075 965,679 965,679 965,679
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.

 449,357 367,579 330,813 365,573 385,887 387,643 397,169
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 1,693,644 1,505,589 2,492,433 2,209,970 1,712,067 1,738,185 1,764,804
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 15,055,630 15,199,152 16,974,491 17,315,095 17,176,993 17,753,016 17,867,235
02.010 Proceeds From Sale of Notes

Short-term borrowing (notes) brought into the general fund.

 0 0 518,906 0 0 0 0
02.040 Operating Transfers-In

Money moved into the general fund from the district's other funds.

 177,786 141,925 0 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.

 177,786 141,925 518,906 0 0 0 0
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 15,233,416 15,341,077 17,493,397 17,315,095 17,176,993 17,753,016 17,867,235
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 6,755,305 7,238,407 8,317,853 8,526,802 8,980,792 9,363,319 9,762,729
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 4,245,123 4,017,788 3,929,607 3,856,491 4,033,130 4,197,580 4,367,067
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 2,180,879 2,374,851 1,974,168 1,802,022 1,830,737 1,860,343 1,890,871
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 626,512 627,969 695,691 785,622 572,889 585,438 598,277
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 218,029 230,272 269,539 407,826 75,541 75,541 355,541
04.020 Principal-Notes

Repaying short-term notes.

 123,339 60,423 0 0 0 0 0
04.040 Principal-State Advancements

Repaying money the state advanced.

 0 0 0 78,954 83,913 89,143 94,781
04.050 Principal-HB 264 Loans

Repaying loans for energy-saving building work (House Bill 264).

 0 0 107,916 105,017 71,222 0 0
04.055 Principal - Other

Repaying other borrowing from the general fund.

 0 0 87,928 78,954 83,913 89,143 94,781
04.060 Interest and Fiscal Charges

Interest and fees on the district's borrowing.

 5,829 1,106 17,612 28,779 21,644 15,740 10,103
04.300 Other Objects

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

 284,571 290,955 300,194 306,198 312,322 318,568 324,940
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 14,439,587 14,841,771 15,700,508 15,976,665 16,066,102 16,594,817 17,499,089
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 142,804 86,270 125,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000
05.040 Total Other Financing Uses

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

 142,804 86,270 125,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 14,582,391 14,928,041 15,825,508 16,049,665 16,139,102 16,667,817 17,572,089
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.

 651,025 413,036 1,667,889 1,265,430 1,037,891 1,085,199 295,146
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.

 2,725,816 3,376,841 3,789,877 5,457,766 6,723,196 7,761,087 8,846,286
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.

 3,376,841 3,789,877 5,457,766 6,723,196 7,761,087 8,846,286 9,141,432
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.

 3,376,841 3,789,877 5,457,766 6,723,196 7,761,087 8,846,286 9,141,432
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.

 3,376,841 3,789,877 5,457,766 6,723,196 7,761,087 8,846,286 9,141,432
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.

 3,376,841 3,789,877 5,457,766 6,723,196 7,761,087 8,846,286 9,141,432
20.010 Kindergarten - October count

Kindergarten pupils enrolled, counted each October.

 70 61 66 65 64 65 65
20.015 Grades 1-12 - October count

Pupils in grades 1 to 12, counted each October.

 697 726 680 698 690 686 682

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.

Southern 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.