Portage County schools could lose money under House Bill 96’s carryover cap

If passed as is, Portage County schools could lose millions in carryover funds under the current version of the Ohio House GOP’s proposed state budget — a reality that concerns local superintendents and the Ohio Education Association, a union representing over 100,000 school workers statewide.

As part of the larger budget, the Republican-backed House Bill 96 would limit K-12 school districts to keeping 30% of their carryover budget (money left over) year-to-year during the 2026-27 fiscal year. The rest would be returned to the public through a property tax reduction. According to the Ohio House of Representatives official website, property tax relief would total $4 billion statewide with the bill.