$5.7 million school levy to be placed on Tallmadge November ballot
By Lauren Cohen
Tallmadge City School District’s operating budget has seen a growing gap due to inflation impacting the costs of materials, transportation and staffing, as well as state funding decreases, according to the district’s superintendent, Steve Wood.
He said a levy is necessary at this point to address the issue, ensuring class sizes remain the same, comprehensive education continues to be offered and music, art and STEM programs remain untouched.
“I think it’s important to understand that school districts need to ask for money at certain [points] in a cycle,” Wood said. “Our revenue from tax levies does not keep up with inflation, so at some frequency, districts must ask for additional funds just to maintain existing programs.”
The Tallmadge Board of Education voted July 16 to place a $5.7 million new operating levy on the November 2025 ballot that would allow the district to maintain its current programming past the upcoming school year, according to a press release announcing the levy.
It would cost homeowners approximately $16.62 per month per $100,000 of appraised value.
This levy is lower than the district has typically asked for in the past, which is somewhere between $7 million to $8 million, Wood said. Tallmadge voters last approved new operating funds in 2019.
A 10-year renewal levy will also be on the November ballot, according to the press release. Last renewed in 2016, it is not a new tax or a tax increase. That levy collects at about a $4.3 million effective rate.
“The Tallmadge community continues to grow in value, and part of that is because of the attractiveness of our schools,” Wood said. “More and more people want to move to Tallmadge, and that’s driven up property values. So, we’re able to ask for less of a tax rate this time than we have in the past.”
The press release said the district has worked to stretch every dollar of the 2019 levy by implementing cost-saving measures like staffing reductions and operational efficiencies. Wood said a number of administrative staff have implemented an early retirement incentive to reduce operating costs, as well.
Molly Breiding, a Tallmadge High School math teacher who has been in the district for 26 years, said she expected the levy to be announced, as this past year, teachers' union contract negotiations took place. She said she hopes the levy passes to avoid staffing cuts and maintain class sizes, as she knows larger classes negatively impact education.
“I try to get to every single student every single day,” Breiding said. “When the classes are in the high 20s, and we have some classes close to 30 this year alone, that’s really hard to do, and you can’t always get to everyone every day. So then when they need help, they have to wait or ask other people.”
She added that kids want to be taught in a calm classroom environment, not one that is overcrowded and makes asking questions difficult.
“When you talk about a democratic society like we have now, we agree that one policy is that we educate our youth and we give them a K-12 free education, and that is so that they’re better citizens and so that they make good decisions for their success in the future,” Breiding said. “Education on all levels … is important for a well-rounded student, for a well-rounded citizen going forward. That’s why America has public education, and that’s why … we have to put levies on the ballot in order to fund that free education for all.”
Ethan Ross, Tallmadge High School PTSA president and parent of a high schooler, said he was not surprised by the announcement of the levy.
“If you look at how everything’s going right now, everything’s expensive,” Ross said. “It’s no different trying to raise a family than it is trying to run a school, and everything’s going up.”
He said he feels one of the best things about Tallmadge is its school district, and in order to maintain a strong community, they have to maintain strong schools.
“If we don’t have strong schools, it devalues our lifestyle, it devalues our homes and devalues our community,” he said. “And it does take a little bit of that pride away from the community in itself.”
Wood said the community’s reaction to the levy announcement has been very supportive so far, and he hopes people take the time to educate themselves about the levy so they can understand the impacts of whether it passes or not.
“People do not like taxes — let’s face it,” he said. “So, that’s why it’s so important for school districts like Tallmadge to show that folks are getting their money’s worth, and we’re very, very careful about how we spend money to ensure families are getting the best bang for their buck, and that’s one thing we’re proud of.”
Tallmadge City School District’s operating budget has seen a growing gap due to inflation impacting the costs of materials, transportation and staffing, as well as state funding decreases, according to the district’s superintendent, Steve Wood.
He said a levy is necessary at this point to address the issue, ensuring class sizes remain the same, comprehensive education continues to be offered and music, art and STEM programs remain untouched.
“I think it’s important to understand that school districts need to ask for money at certain [points] in a cycle,” Wood said. “Our revenue from tax levies does not keep up with inflation, so at some frequency, districts must ask for additional funds just to maintain existing programs.”
The Tallmadge Board of Education voted July 16 to place a $5.7 million new operating levy on the November 2025 ballot that would allow the district to maintain its current programming past the upcoming school year, according to a press release announcing the levy.
It would cost homeowners approximately $16.62 per month per $100,000 of appraised value.
This levy is lower than the district has typically asked for in the past, which is somewhere between $7 million to $8 million, Wood said. Tallmadge voters last approved new operating funds in 2019.
A 10-year renewal levy will also be on the November ballot, according to the press release. Last renewed in 2016, it is not a new tax or a tax increase. That levy collects at about a $4.3 million effective rate.
“The Tallmadge community continues to grow in value, and part of that is because of the attractiveness of our schools,” Wood said. “More and more people want to move to Tallmadge, and that’s driven up property values. So, we’re able to ask for less of a tax rate this time than we have in the past.”
The press release said the district has worked to stretch every dollar of the 2019 levy by implementing cost-saving measures like staffing reductions and operational efficiencies. Wood said a number of administrative staff have implemented an early retirement incentive to reduce operating costs, as well.
Molly Breiding, a Tallmadge High School math teacher who has been in the district for 26 years, said she expected the levy to be announced, as this past year, teachers' union contract negotiations took place. She said she hopes the levy passes to avoid staffing cuts and maintain class sizes, as she knows larger classes negatively impact education.
“I try to get to every single student every single day,” Breiding said. “When the classes are in the high 20s, and we have some classes close to 30 this year alone, that’s really hard to do, and you can’t always get to everyone every day. So then when they need help, they have to wait or ask other people.”
She added that kids want to be taught in a calm classroom environment, not one that is overcrowded and makes asking questions difficult.
“When you talk about a democratic society like we have now, we agree that one policy is that we educate our youth and we give them a K-12 free education, and that is so that they’re better citizens and so that they make good decisions for their success in the future,” Breiding said. “Education on all levels … is important for a well-rounded student, for a well-rounded citizen going forward. That’s why America has public education, and that’s why … we have to put levies on the ballot in order to fund that free education for all.”
Ethan Ross, Tallmadge High School PTSA president and parent of a high schooler, said he was not surprised by the announcement of the levy.
“If you look at how everything’s going right now, everything’s expensive,” Ross said. “It’s no different trying to raise a family than it is trying to run a school, and everything’s going up.”
He said he feels one of the best things about Tallmadge is its school district, and in order to maintain a strong community, they have to maintain strong schools.
“If we don’t have strong schools, it devalues our lifestyle, it devalues our homes and devalues our community,” he said. “And it does take a little bit of that pride away from the community in itself.”
Wood said the community’s reaction to the levy announcement has been very supportive so far, and he hopes people take the time to educate themselves about the levy so they can understand the impacts of whether it passes or not.
“People do not like taxes — let’s face it,” he said. “So, that’s why it’s so important for school districts like Tallmadge to show that folks are getting their money’s worth, and we’re very, very careful about how we spend money to ensure families are getting the best bang for their buck, and that’s one thing we’re proud of.”
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