OEA warns property tax veto overrides will cost OH schools $950M

By Farah Siddiqi

The Ohio Education Association says recent legislative veto overrides on property-tax provisions could devastate public school funding across the state. Lawmakers voted to overturn Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget vetoes, approving short-term tax measures that educators warn will strip nearly a billion dollars from local districts.

Jeff Wensing, OEA president, said the decision will leave schools struggling to fill major funding gaps.

"We get that there has to be some property tax relief. We get it," he explained. "We want people to stay in their homes. But figuring out this property tax relief can’t be done on the backs of public schools."

The new law allows certain revenue streams that were previously excluded from millage calculations to count toward Ohio’s 20-mill floor, effectively reducing what districts can collect locally. OEA estimates the change could cut public school revenue by roughly $950 million statewide.

The group said the move comes on top of an already inadequate funding formula. According to OEA analysis, the state’s current budget underfunds public schools by about $2. 75 billion over the next two years, using outdated cost data from before the pandemic.

"We’re preparing the next generation of doctors, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, cosmetologists, people that go into the military," he continued. "This is one area that you should not shortchange."

DeWine vetoed the property tax provisions in July, citing the need for comprehensive reform. Lawmakers overrode those vetoes in early October, despite recommendations from the Ohio property tax working group to delay action. The OEA said it will continue advocating for long-term property tax solutions that preserve local funding for schools. Education groups are urging lawmakers to revisit the state’s Fair School Funding Plan in the next legislative session to ensure equity and stability for Ohio students.