Milford Exempted Village Schools District tax levy fails: What this means for students, staff

MILFORD, Ohio (WXIX) - Teachers, faculty and students at Milford Exempted Village Schools may be impacted by the outcome of the 2024 Election after residents voted against a new tax levy.

On Tuesday, folks living within the Milford Exempted Village School District were asked to vote for or against a 1% Earned Income Tax Levy to help the district keep up with the cost of inflation and cover additional needs that state, local and federal funding cannot.

The levy would have taxed residents' compensation and net earnings from self-employment by 1% - just enough to where the district would not have make budget cuts but also not overfund the schools.

However, 58.1% of taxpayers voted against the new levy, according to the 2024 Election results in Clermont County.

For the Tax LevyAgainst the Tax Levy10,715 votes14,848 votes Without the additional tax money, 30 to 40 positions may be affected by the vote, the district confirmed to FOX19 NOW. However, it is unknown how many employees could be let go or who could be moved into a new role within the school system.

In addition to jobs being affected, classes may look a little different for the 2025-26 school year as well.

In a written statement, Milford Exempted Village Schools Superintendent John Spieser explained what those changes could be:

According to the district, the elementary schools would reorganize into "sister" schools by grouping certain grades together.

Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 1: Mulberry Elementary & Pattison Elementary

Grades 2 and 3: Boyd E. Smith Elementary & Charles L. Seipelt Elementary

Grades 4 and 5: McCormick Elementary & Meadowview Elementary

"This restructuring would allow the district to optimize staff and facilities, but would shift students into new school arrangements based on their grade level," school officials wrote in October.

Transportation to and from school will also be cut to only meet Ohio's minimum requirements, meaning high school students and "younger students" who live within two miles of their school would be affected.

The district will also implement a tiered pay-to-play system, in which add a fee for extracurricular activities, such as arts programs and sports. Fees will be adjusted based on how much the program costs and how many participants there are.

In October, Spieser said these measures are needed to keep the district "financially viable."