Toledo Public Schools board votes to seek $99 million bond and 3.8-mill levy; members cite voucher funding pressures

The Toledo Public Schools Board of Education voted March 26 to proceed with submitting to district voters a single question asking for school improvement bonds with an aggregate principal amount of $99,000,000 and an additional levy of 3.8 mills.

Board members moved and seconded the resolution and approved it by roll call with all recorded members voting in favor. The formal action authorizes placing the single-question bond and levy proposal on the ballot after the district completes required procedural steps under state law.

Board members framed the ballot request as a response to wider funding shifts. "Vouchers hurt Ohio," said board member Miss Farwick, arguing that taxpayer dollars are being routed to private and religious schools and reducing the state contribution to public districts. Other members echoed concerns that state-level policies and voucher programs increase pressure on the district to seek local revenue. The board repeatedly stressed the levy would help cover operating expenses and sustain district initiatives in a context of rising property values and shifting state-local funding responsibilities.

The board also discussed the statutory basis for the action, referring to Section 5705.218 of the Revised Code in the motion to proceed. The resolution presented the $99,000,000 aggregate principal amount and the proposed 3.8-mill additional levy; the board voted to move the question forward to the electors.

Votes at a glance: the bond-and-levy resolution was moved, seconded and approved by roll call with Missus Gerken, Missus Barwick, Mister Vasquez, Mister Parker and Miss Barnes recorded as voting "Yes." The meeting's consent agenda and a June 2023 disability waiver request from Great Lakes Community Action were also approved by roll call during the same meeting.

What happens next: The board's approval authorizes the district to take the procedural steps necessary to place the single-question bond and additional levy before voters, including any required legal notices and filings under the Revised Code. The district did not set a specific election date in the board discussion recorded at the meeting.