This report provides a brief overview of the May 2022 school levy results and provides a comparison to school levy results in primary elections from the preceding 4 years (2018-2021).
May 2022 School Levy Analysis
Table 1 provides a summary of the number and type of school levies on the ballot in the primary election over the last 5 years. Table 1 shows that the number of levies on the primary has been roughly 20-25% lower the past two years than from 2018-2020. 2021 and 2022 of course reflect the years of the pandemic which may contribute to districts’ reluctance to ask voters for levy approval.
Table 1: School Levies on the Primary Ballot 2018-2022, By Type
| Levy Type | May 2018 | May 2019 | March 2020 | May 2021 | May 2022 |
| Capital Levies | 23 | 29 | 24 | 14 | 22 |
| Operating Levies | 69 | 75 | 75 | 59 | 53 |
| Total Levies | 92 | 104 | 99 | 73 | 75 |
Table 2 shows the results for the school levies on the ballot in the May 3, 2022 primary election. Table 2 also shows the passage rate for each type of levy in the primary elections from 2018-2021.
Table 2: May 2022 School Levies, by Type and Passage Rate
| Levy Type | Total # of Levies | # of Levies Passing | # of Levies Failing | May 2022 % Levies Passing | 2018-2021 % Levies Passing |
| Capital Levies | 22 | 12 | 10 | 54.5% | 62.2% |
| Operating Levies | 53 | 37 | 16 | 69.8% | 73.4% |
| Total Levies | 75 | 49 | 26 | 65.3% | 70.7% |
The results in Table 2 show that 12 of 22 (54.5%) school district capital levies (defined as bond levies, permanent improvement (PI) levies, and combination bond/PI levies) passed in the May 3 primary election this year. This passage rate is slightly lower than the 62.2% passage rate of capital levies in the primary elections from 2018-2021.
Table 2 also shows that 37 of 53 (69.8%) of school operating levies passed in the May 3rd election this year. Operating levies include school district income tax and property tax current expense levies as well as property tax emergency and substitute levies. There was also one education technology levy on the ballot this May. This 69.8% passage rate is slightly lower than the 73.4% passage rate of operating levies in the primary elections from 2018-2021.
Overall, 49 of 75 (65.2%) of school levies passed on May 3, a rate that is slightly lower than the 70.7% passage rate of school levies on the primary ballot from 2018-2021.
Tables 3 provides a more detailed breakdown of capital levies on the ballot in the May primary election this year. Table 2 shows that half of the bond levies, more than 60% of the PI new and renewal levies, and neither of the 2 combination bond/PI levies passed. The 50% bond passage rate is exactly the same as that over the preceding four years, while the passage rate for new PI levies was much higher than in recent years and the passage rate for renewal PI levies was much lower than in recent years.
Table 3: May 2022 Capital Levies, By Type and Passage Rate
| Levy Type | Total # of Levies | # of Levies Passing | # of Levies Failing | May 2022 % Levies Passing | 2018-2021 % Levies Passing |
| Bond Levies | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Combination Levies | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 56.0% |
| Permanent Improvement New Levies | 8 | 5 | 3 | 62.5% | 35.7% |
| PI Renewal or Replacement Levies | 6 | 4 | 2 | 66.7% | 90.0% |
| Total Capital Levies | 22 | 12 | 10 | 54.5% | 62.9% |
Tables 4 provides a more detailed breakdown of operating levies on the ballot in the May 2022 primary election.
Table 4: May 2022 Operating Levies, By Type and Passage Rate
| Levy Type | Total # of Levies | # of Levies Passing | # of Levies Failing | May 2022 % Levies Passing | 2018-2021 % Levies Passing |
| Emergency Levies* | 31 | 22 | 9 | 70.1% | 80.1% |
| Property Tax Current Expense Levies | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75.0% | 69.8% |
| School District Income Tax Operating Levies | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6% | 63.4% |
| Other Operating Levies** | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 50.0% |
| Total Operating Levies | 53 | 37 | 16 | 69.8% | 73.1% |
** Other operating levies include technology, safety & security, & county financing district levies.
The data in Table 4 show that 70% of emergency levies, 75% of property tax current expense levies, 55.6% of school district income tax current expense levies, and the one education technology levy on the ballot passed on May 3. The emergency levy and school district income tax levy passage rates were both slightly lower than the passage rates from 2018-2021, while the current expense property tax levy passage rate was slightly higher than in recent years. However, as Table 5 will show, what is more important for the likelihood of getting voter approval than the type of operating levy is whether the levy is a new or renewal levy.
Table 5 provides additional insight on operating levies on the ballot in the May 2022 primary election by providing a breakdown between new levies, renewal levies, and replacement levies. New levies are defined as those that are placing new millage on the ballot, renewal levies are renewing existing term-limited levies, and replacement levies (which are rarely used), which restore a levy to its originally voted millage level after it has been reduced by the impact of HB 920 rolling back the voted rate.
Table 5: May 2022 Operating Levies, By New vs Renewal or Replacement
| Levy Type | Total # of Levies | # of Levies Passing | # of Levies Failing | May 2022 % Levies Passing | 2018-2021 % Levies Passing |
| New Operating Levies | 14 | 4 | 10 | 28.6% | 44.3% |
| Renewal Operating Levies | 38 | 32 | 6 | 84.2% | 93.9% |
| Replacement Levies | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% |
| Total Operating Levies | 53 | 37 | 16 | 69.8% | 73.1% |
Table 5 shows that only 28.6% of new operating levies on the ballot in the primary 2022 election were approved by voters. In contrast, 84% of the renewal operating levies on the May 2022 ballot passed, as did the one replacement operating levy on the ballot. The May 2022 operating levy results are slightly lower but still consistent with historical trends. From 2018 to 2021 44.3% of new operating levies were approved by voters and 93.9% of renewal and replacement levies passed.
The data in Table 5 show that Ohio voters repeatedly indicate that they are less willing to pass new school levies than renewals.
Note: after the November election OEPI will update this report to include similar analysis of how Ohio school levies fare at the polls in general elections.