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School budgets

3 of the 9 school districts based in Lake County forecast running short by FY2029

Fiscal Year 2026 Required Update to Forecast

Filed February 2026

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 their own forecasts, 3 go below zero by FY2029 if their current levies are renewed and no new one passes, and 1 have already written in a new levy voters have not approved.

Or find your school district ↓
FY2027 fallfiled July–August 2026 FY2026 spring updatefiled February 2026

Lake County · the 9 school districts based here, added together

Cash, June 30, 2025
$145.0M

4.1 months of that year’s spending for them together; the typical one held 4.5 months

Runs short
3 of 9

districts by FY2029, if their levies are renewed and no new one passes

New levy in the forecast
1

district counts one voters have not approved

Forecasts that count a new levy in Lake County

1 school district have written money from a new levy into this forecast, on the state’s lines for a new income tax (13.010) or property tax (13.020). Voters have not approved it. The unreserved balance counts it as if they had; the balance before it does not.

District New levy New-levy money in FY2029 Cash, June 30 FY2025 Months of spending FY2029 without it 12.010 FY2029 with it 15.010
Painesville City Local Income, from FY2028 $3.4M $12.2M 3.5 −$4.9M $201.4K

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Most cash first until a heading is sorted, measured in months of FY2025’s spending (line 4.500), so a large district and a small one can be compared. A forecast only shows a levy its district chose to write in; a levy on a ballot can be missing from it, and one written in may never reach a ballot. What is on the November 3 ballot →

Districts based in Lake County

District Cash, June 30 FY2025 Months of spending FY2029 before new levies 12.010 Below zero from New levy
Fairport Harbor Exempted Village $6.3M 8.8 $1.4M — —
Kirtland Local $8.3M 5.8 $3.0M — —
Madison Local $1.9M 0.7 $735.7K — —
Mentor Exempted Village $47.6M 5.0 $7.8M — —
Painesville City Local $12.2M 3.5 −$4.9M FY2029 Income
Perry Local $12.5M 5.6 $6.6M — —
Riverside Local $20.1M 4.5 −$5.0M FY2029 —
Wickliffe City $6.0M 3.2 −$2.2M FY2028 —
Willoughby-Eastlake City $30.2M 3.3 $3.1M — —
Auburncareer center, in no total $9.0M 8.9 $7.0M — —

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“Below zero” is the balance with renewals counted and new levies not (line 12.010) — the year a district’s own forecast says it runs short unless something new is approved or spending changes.

Lake County’s total: 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. 144,968,662 136,752,905 14,408,165
08.010 Already committedEncumbrances: purchase orders and contracts signed, not yet paid. − 6,979,843 − 4,414,787 − 5,462,664
09.080 Set asideReserves the law or the board require, such as a budget reserve. − 2,011,172 − 4,266,899 − 2,255,727
10.010 Unencumbered balanceWhat is free to spend. The state calls it the fund balance for certification of appropriations. 135,977,647 128,071,220 6,689,774
11.300 Renewal leviesExisting levies the district expects voters to renew, added year by year. + 0 + 0 + 3,843,448
12.010 With renewalsThe balance if every renewal passes and nothing new does. 135,977,647 128,071,220 10,533,222
13.030 New leviesLevies the district has written into its forecast. Not yet voted on. + 0 + 0 + 5,112,037
15.010 Unreserved fund balanceThe state's bottom line. In a forecast year it counts any new levy above as if it had passed. 135,977,647 128,071,220 15,645,259

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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.

Lake County’s forecast: its 9 districts added together, line by line

Each line added up across the districts, as they filed them with the state. 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.

 232,072,897 226,108,357 238,515,839 237,052,415 230,286,763 231,915,094 231,996,654
01.020 Tangible Personal Property Tax

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

 20,591,580 21,566,017 22,031,307 27,214,991 28,428,371 28,516,290 28,475,575
01.035 Unrestricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 89,877,162 94,061,718 96,917,074 96,451,848 98,926,851 98,928,926 98,960,971
01.040 Restricted Grants-in-Aid

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

 9,327,583 11,458,170 11,700,959 9,964,521 9,427,716 9,357,202 9,327,427
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.

 33,939,873 33,982,936 34,848,008 35,600,235 36,647,433 36,177,448 34,811,501
01.060 All Other Operating Revenue

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

 19,865,154 24,565,824 28,232,708 25,808,794 23,313,580 22,137,431 21,873,560
01.070 Total Revenue

All of the revenue above, added together.

 405,674,249 411,743,021 432,245,893 432,092,806 427,030,714 427,032,391 425,445,687
02.010 Proceeds From Sale of Notes

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

 0 0 0 1,990,715 0 0 0
02.040 Operating Transfers-In

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

 149,306 161,596 162,010 0 0 2,011,172 0
02.050 Advances-In

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

 3,478,615 6,040,920 2,290,909 5,676,350 1,495,479 1,495,479 1,495,479
02.060 All Other Financing Sources

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

 1,987,579 1,925,590 2,103,814 1,829,830 1,758,098 1,758,098 1,758,098
02.070 Total Other Financing Sources

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

 5,615,500 8,128,106 4,556,735 9,496,896 3,253,577 5,264,749 3,253,577
02.080 Total Revenue and Other Financing Sources

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

 411,289,748 419,871,127 436,802,629 441,589,701 430,284,291 432,297,140 428,699,264
03.010 Personal Services - Employee Salaries & Wages

Salaries and wages for teachers and every other employee.

 223,372,447 228,918,992 241,138,272 246,309,338 249,694,285 258,347,729 266,620,300
03.020 Employees' Retirement and Insurance Benefits

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

 82,378,737 86,326,327 94,611,919 103,140,359 107,599,142 112,685,862 118,379,834
03.030 Purchased Services

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

 57,112,788 59,422,184 64,531,174 67,824,243 67,741,199 69,743,245 71,865,830
03.040 Supplies and Materials

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

 12,661,917 12,858,723 14,848,917 15,365,704 15,922,462 17,044,378 17,335,559
03.050 Capital Outlay

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

 908,696 2,137,774 2,479,409 1,709,746 1,240,742 1,354,676 1,241,211
04.010 All Principal (Historical)

Borrowed money repaid in past years.

 87,000 91,000 90,000 94,000 94,000 98,000 101,000
04.020 Principal-Notes

Repaying short-term notes.

 368,780 390,503 257,745 2,264,470 446,000 471,690 484,620
04.030 Principal-State Loans

Repaying loans from the state.

 0 0 0 256,221 0 0 0
04.050 Principal-HB 264 Loans

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

 605,784 633,021 650,340 662,745 670,238 647,822 75,502
04.060 Interest and Fiscal Charges

Interest and fees on the district's borrowing.

 570,242 527,945 491,111 491,062 421,327 375,435 340,348
04.300 Other Objects

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

 7,685,047 5,040,762 5,065,210 5,005,896 5,399,794 5,555,099 5,708,584
04.500 Total Expenditures

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

 385,751,442 396,347,233 424,164,097 443,123,785 449,229,193 466,323,936 482,152,786
05.010 Operational Transfers-Out

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

 26,094,388 21,746,630 32,390,467 5,186,194 3,076,669 5,150,741 3,205,671
05.020 Advances-Out

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

 4,624,695 2,282,720 5,676,749 1,495,479 1,495,479 1,495,479 1,495,479
05.030 All Other Financing Uses

Other one-off money going out.

 599 (249) 24,267 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.

 30,719,683 24,029,101 38,091,483 6,681,673 4,572,148 6,646,220 4,701,150
05.050 Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses

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

 416,471,123 420,376,334 462,255,580 449,805,458 453,801,341 472,970,156 486,853,936
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.

 (5,181,374) (505,208) (25,452,953) (8,215,755) (23,517,050) (40,673,017) (58,154,673)
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.

 176,108,197 170,926,822 170,421,614 144,968,662 136,752,905 113,235,855 72,562,837
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.

 170,926,822 170,421,614 144,968,662 136,752,905 113,235,855 72,562,837 14,408,165
08.010 Estimated Encumbrances June 30

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

 6,161,685 6,642,948 6,979,843 4,414,787 5,462,664 5,462,664 5,462,664
09.030 Budget Reserve

A rainy-day reserve.

 7,075,800 7,313,138 2,011,172 4,266,899 4,266,899 2,255,727 2,255,727
09.045 Fiscal Stabilization

Money set aside to steady the budget over future years.

 0 0 0 4 8 12 16
09.080 Subtotal

All of the money set aside, lines 9.010 to 9.070, added together.

 7,075,800 7,313,138 2,011,172 4,266,899 4,266,899 2,255,727 2,255,727
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.

 157,689,337 156,465,528 135,977,647 128,071,220 103,506,292 64,844,446 6,689,774
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 1,127,307 2,716,141
11.300 Cumulative Balance of Replacement/Renewal Levies

The renewals above, added up year after year.

 0 0 0 0 0 1,127,307 3,843,448
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.

 157,689,337 156,465,528 135,977,647 128,071,220 103,506,292 65,971,753 10,533,222
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 1,704,000 3,408,037
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 1,704,000 5,112,037
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.

 157,689,337 156,465,528 135,977,647 128,071,220 103,506,292 67,675,753 15,645,259
20.010 Kindergarten - October count

Kindergarten pupils enrolled, counted each October.

 979 1,038 1,061 858 1,050 1,056 1,017
20.015 Grades 1-12 - October count

Pupils in grades 1 to 12, counted each October.

 13,712 13,248 12,841 13,044 12,459 12,245 12,148

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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.

Lake County’s schools: what their levies cost a home, test scores and spending →

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.