Parma’s school funding fight just jumped from yard signs to paychecks.
After years of striking out with property-tax levies, the Parma City School District has voted to ask residents for a 1.75% school-district earned-income tax on the May ballot. District leaders are pitching it as a swap: trade three expiring property-levy renewals for an income tax that they say would return millions in property-tax relief to homeowners while shoring up the district’s operating budget.
The move immediately caught the attention of Parma-area mayors, who on Thursday offered a mix of questions, concern and cautious optimism. Administrators have been blunt about why they are making the shift, warning that the district is staring down budget shortfalls if it cannot find new revenue or cut spending.
At a Jan. 29 board meeting, trustees voted by roll call to place the earned-income tax on the May ballot, while also pressing the administration for a clear, itemized plan to trim roughly $12.5 million from the budget and to follow up with families affected by recent program changes. As reported by Citizen Portal, district officials said they have already filed the paperwork required by the election calendar, and that collection on the tax would not begin until the following January if voters approve it.
What the measure would do
The proposal would create a continuing 1.75% school-district earned-income tax for operations and phase out three existing property-tax renewals. District leaders say that structure would return about $40.5 million in property-tax revenue to homeowners, according to Ideastream Public Media.
District materials estimate the income tax would generate roughly $50.3 million a year. One example provided: a homeowner with $100,000 of property in the district could save about $500 annually if the swap goes through, as reported by Cleveland.com.
The levy would apply only to earned income, such as wages and salaries. It would generally not tax pensions or Social Security benefits, a detail that will likely matter to Parma’s sizable retiree population.
Mayors react
Local city halls are not on the ballot, but they are very much in the conversation.
Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter said he “sees challenges getting a traditional levy passed” and that the city is still seeking more information about the income-tax proposal. Parma Heights Mayor Marie Gallo said she understands why the superintendent and school board are exploring different funding options. Seven Hills Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta said he typically supports operating levies in general but also recognizes the concerns he is hearing from residents. Those reactions were reported by Cleveland.com.
Budget math and next steps
The stakes behind the ballot question are laid out in the district’s five-year forecast. The plan submitted to the state shows Parma slipping about $13 million into the red by the end of the 2028–29 school year, a projection district leaders have cited as the financial backdrop for the income-tax move.
Board members, for their part, have insisted on specifics. They called for concrete plans to cut roughly $12.5 million from the budget, and the administration said it would bring updated forecasts to the board and hold follow-up meetings with families, according to Citizen Portal. The district has posted meeting notices and related information on its website at the Parma City School District.
In the weeks leading up to the May vote, residents can expect an updated five-year forecast, more detail on possible cuts and plenty of discussion about how the tax swap would play out at kitchen tables across the district. Board calendars, meeting recordings and public notices are all available on the Parma City School District site for anyone trying to follow every step of the debate and the ballot timeline.
