Cincinnati Public Schools is staring at a possible nine-figure budget hole, and the clock is already ticking. At a meeting Monday, district leaders rolled out a new five-year forecast that shows a worst-case cash shortfall of $101 million by 2030 if nothing changes. Board members openly acknowledged the numbers could force them to ask voters for new operational funding while they also weigh potential cuts to staff and programs. Administrators urged families and taxpayers to stay engaged as the budget is hammered out over the spring.
Forecast lays out the worst-case path
Treasurer Michael Gustin and his finance team walked the board through a series of slides that showed revenue flattening over time and an ever-widening gap if no corrective action is taken. In the bleakest scenario, the district ends up with a $101 million cash deficit by 2030, according to the Cincinnati Public Schools five-year forecast.
Policy shift behind the numbers
District officials say recent changes to Ohio’s property tax rules, including the removal of the 20-mill floor that once bumped up revenue after property reappraisals, are already baked into the forecast and help explain why local tax receipts flatten out in the projections. Local reporting has highlighted those state-level moves, along with the way the funding formula treats local property wealth, as central to the district's financial outlook, according to FOX19.
Local pushback and politics
Not everyone in the audience was in the mood to accept cuts in the classroom as inevitable. During the presentation, Northside resident Sarah Wolf urged the board to focus on trimming central office costs rather than educators, saying, “We don't have to touch a single teacher's salary... we have to attack this bloated, insane amount of administration,” according to Local 12.
Gustin cautioned that reductions alone will not erase the looming gap and said the forecast “reflects us making difficult decisions to keep our expenses in line with our revenue.” Board leaders also noted that missing the May filing deadline could push any new levy request to the November ballot or even into spring 2027.
What's next and how to follow it
District officials say public budget discussions will roll on through June as they finalize next year's spending plan, with community input invited at upcoming sessions. The board holds regular meetings at the Mary A. Ronan Education Center at 2651 Burnet Avenue. The Cincinnati Public Schools meeting schedule lists the Education Center as the usual meeting site.
