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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sen. Andrew Brenner wants to create a new system for funding Ohio’s public schools. The Delaware County Republican unveiled Senate Bill 93 Tuesday, which would replace all local school property taxes with a single statewide 20-mill property tax and a 1.75% sales tax increase. “Since the pandemic, property taxes have increased sharply for nearly every county in the state,” Brenner said. “We have to have a system that is stable in the long run.” It’s an ambitious idea that would face a steep climb even in the GOP-controlled Legislature, but Brenner said taxpayer frustration over rising bills demands bold action. And that’s not possible without overhauling school funding. School taxes are the largest share of our property tax bills. They average about 60% of what homeowners pay statewide, but can climb above 80% in some communities. Lawmakers have spent months debating real estate tax changes, from small tweaks to sweeping ideas like a citizen-driven constitutional amendment to end property taxes altogether. Brenner’s plan goes to the heart of that debate. Here’s what it would do: A new way to pay for schools School funding in Ohio has long been a partnership between the federal, state, and local governments. Each district relies on a different mix of those sources to pay for teachers, buses, and buildings. Federal dollars wouldn’t be touched by SB 93. What would change is the split between the state and local. The state currently calculates education costs for each district and uses a formula to determine how much local property taxes should cover. Ohio then covers the rest. For poorer districts, the state’s share of instruction can be well over half its costs. For wealthier suburban districts, it can be less than 10%. SB 93 would eliminate that formula and put the state in charge of collecting and distributing Ohio’s education dollars. “There will be no other school property taxes, and locals can’t levy their own property taxes,” Brenner said. The change would apply only to school taxes. Other local property taxes for libraries, parks, safety forces, and mental health services would continue as they do now. The proposal replaces local school taxes with a statewide property tax of 20 mills and a 1.75% increase in the state sales tax. The nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission hasn’t released an estimate on how much this system would collect. It would, however, increase the state sales tax to 7.5% before county add-ons — bringing the total rate to about 9.75% in Cuyahoga County and 8.5% in Summit County. Would this save you money? Ohio law requires every school district to raise at least 20 mills in local property taxes to qualify for state funding. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value, which is 35% of its market value in Ohio. So, a 20-mill tax is about $700 a year on a $100,000 home. That minimum is called the floor, and about 67% of Ohio’s districts already sit there. Those districts wouldn’t see a property tax cut under SB 93, but they would pay the higher statewide sales tax. In contrast, districts like Shaker Heights, which had 84.29 approved school mills at the end of 2024, or Cleveland Municipal, which had nearly 40 mills, would see major reductions. But there’s a catch. Certain levies don’t count toward the 20-mill minimum. It’s a quirk of our tax law that Republicans voted to phase those out starting in February 2026. And it means some districts on the floor now would see a tax cut under SB 93. Brenner’s plan also works alongside Senate Joint Resolution 4, which is pending in a Senate committee. That proposal would ask voters in November 2026 for permission to pay off all school bond debt. That would lower property taxes, but “there would be no ability to issue a bond for a new building,” Brenner said. “They have to be able to run on their cash flows.” When asked how schools would cover emergency repairs — like the Lakeside High School roof collapse last year — Brenner said the state would have to step in and help. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, a Cleveland Democrat, has said she’s wary about trusting the Republican-controlled legislature to step in when schools need help. After Ohio eliminated emergency levies, she worried districts could be left “begging the legislature for a bailout” at a time when the conservative opinion seems to be that schools have too much money. Big changes beyond taxes SB 93 doesn’t stop at funding. The 994-page bill also reshapes how schools operate. One major change would be countywide busing systems. Instead of each district operating its own fleet, one transportation network would serve every public and charter school in a county. The idea is to save money by pooling drivers, routes, and maintenance. Bus driver shortages have been a nationwide problem since the pandemic. Many districts have struggled to fill positions and stay on schedule. Brenner said combining systems could make the task more efficient. Public school advocates have long said Ohio could make busing more affordable if it stopped forcing districts to transport private school students. SB 93 would also make open enrollment mandatory across Ohio, allowing students to attend schools outside their home districts if there is space available. And it would make it easier for districts to merge, removing legal and financial barriers that can make consolidation difficult. When asked if his plan was a step toward creating one statewide school district, Brenner said it was not. People are loyal to their schools, and in his opinion, large districts can actually be harder to manage. He also knows SB 93 faces long odds, but Brenner said, given how frustrated Ohioans are with their property tax bills, it’s time for big, bold ideas.
