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School budgets

West Branch Local forecasts no shortfall through FY2029

West Branch Local – 048389 (Mahoning) · Fiscal Year 2026 Required Update to Forecast

Submission date: 02/25/2026

West Branch 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, West Branch 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
$5.9M

3.2 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

West Branch Local Schools on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  1. Property tax, 1 mill

    New School buildings

    General permanent improvements · 5 years · from 2026

    $35 a year for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s value

    $100,000 × 35% = $35,000 taxed × 1 mills ($1.00 for each $1,000) = $35

    For a home the county values at $150,000: $52.50 a year $200,000: $70 a year $250,000: $87.50 a year

    These are first-year figures. A levy approved now is charged at its full voted rate, with none of the state’s rollback credits; when the county next revalues homes, the state lowers its rate so that it collects the same dollars. Your home’s county value is on your tax bill.

    What would it cost my home? →

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

How its earlier votes went: since March 17, 2020, voters have decided 1 West Branch Local Schools tax issue — 0 passed and 1 failed. Of the issues asking for new money, 0 of 1 passed.

Every tax issue on the ballot in Mahoning County →

West Branch 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. 5,910,039 6,332,003 5,481,933
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 5,910,039 6,332,003 5,481,933
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 5,910,039 6,332,003 5,481,933
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 5,910,039 6,332,003 5,481,933

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.

West Branch Local’s forecast, line by line

Each line as West Branch 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.

 5,021,947 5,693,406 6,157,351 6,606,024 6,392,649 6,468,280 6,642,293
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 984,075 1,075,162 1,328,542 1,355,550 1,359,345 1,378,423 1,388,417
01.030 Income Tax

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

 0 0 86 0 0 0 0
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 11,744,173 11,606,235 11,631,394 11,831,818 11,932,467 11,977,290 12,011,053
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 700,002 872,549 806,071 676,140 630,500 589,665 559,064
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.

 737,213 826,194 890,899 965,436 1,049,162 1,094,141 1,117,582
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 1,145,468 1,695,376 2,496,870 2,326,874 1,724,182 1,734,866 1,746,890
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 20,332,878 21,768,921 23,311,212 23,761,842 23,088,305 23,242,665 23,465,299
02.040 Operating Transfers-In

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

 132,706 0 0 438,700 0 0 0
02.050 Advances-In

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

 0 34,002 0 0 0 0 0
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

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

 72,001 152,935 38,838 61,000 1,061,000 61,000 61,000
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

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

 204,707 186,937 38,838 499,700 1,061,000 61,000 61,000
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 20,537,585 21,955,858 23,350,050 24,261,542 24,149,305 23,303,665 23,526,299
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 10,676,952 11,596,957 12,387,438 12,826,391 13,032,437 13,457,137 13,886,999
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 4,250,762 4,707,992 5,026,732 5,073,917 5,389,600 5,690,811 6,009,275
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 1,817,960 2,328,213 2,945,076 2,557,622 2,414,806 2,472,213 2,532,642
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 966,753 1,014,569 1,251,089 914,399 931,267 948,503 966,341
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 532,590 383,068 364,970 599,000 1,435,000 225,000 500,000
04.050 Principal-HB 264 Loans

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

 129,678 0 0 165,000 173,000 181,000 189,000
04.060 Interest and Fiscal Charges

Interest and fees on the district's borrowing.

 3,028 0 0 145,470 137,509 129,172 120,458
04.300 Other Objects

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

 197,808 220,478 245,127 252,309 254,832 257,381 259,954
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 18,575,531 20,251,278 22,220,434 22,534,109 23,768,452 23,361,217 24,464,670
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 1,395,706 1,670,622 1,083,914 1,305,468 145,000 45,000 45,000
05.020 Advances-Out

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

 0 34,002 135,677 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.

 1,395,706 1,704,624 1,219,590 1,305,468 145,000 45,000 45,000
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 19,971,237 21,955,902 23,440,024 23,839,577 23,913,452 23,406,217 24,509,670
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.

 566,348 (44) (89,974) 421,965 235,853 (102,551) (983,372)
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.

 5,433,708 6,000,056 6,000,012 5,910,039 6,332,003 6,567,856 6,465,305
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.

 6,000,056 6,000,012 5,910,039 6,332,003 6,567,856 6,465,305 5,481,933
09.045 Fiscal Stabilization

Money set aside to steady the budget over future years.

 0 0 0 1 2 3 4
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.

 6,000,056 6,000,012 5,910,039 6,332,003 6,567,856 6,465,305 5,481,933
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.

 6,000,056 6,000,012 5,910,039 6,332,003 6,567,856 6,465,305 5,481,933
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.

 6,000,056 6,000,012 5,910,039 6,332,003 6,567,856 6,465,305 5,481,933
20.010 Kindergarten - October count

Kindergarten pupils enrolled, counted each October.

 99 100 103 120 116 115 113
20.015 Grades 1-12 - October count

Pupils in grades 1 to 12, counted each October.

 1,571 1,561 1,540 1,523 1,506 1,500 1,495

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.

West Branch 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.