Voters pass Cincinnati Public Schools’ $66.3M school levy

Cincinnati voters have decided to approve Issue 4, a property tax levy projected to raise $66.3 million a year for Cincinnati Public Schools, according to WCPO projections.This is the first new operating levy passed for the district in nearly a decade.Supporters of the levy said it was critical to keep CPS financially stable, while opponents argued that now is the wrong time to ask taxpayers for more money.The Cincinnati Board of Education voted in July to place the measure on the ballot.The now-passed levy will run for five years. At a rate of 0.75%, it will cost someone earning $100,000 annually approximately $750 per year.The levy came after the board approved cuts affecting more than 100 positions in an effort to close a projected $58.6 million budget deficit. District leaders told us the reductions included layoffs, retirements and vacant positions across multiple departments.CPS also previously warned that the district was facing rising operational costs, declining enrollment and