Families at Kilgour Elementary, Clark Montessori and Withrow University High School could face school closures and larger class sizes next year if voters reject a property tax levy on Nov. 3, Cincinnati Public Schools Board President Brandon Craig warned in a Local 12 interview Tuesday.
"We're going to be closing schools. We're going to lay off another group of folks, and this time it'll be folks who are directly in the classrooms," Craig said. "We're going to be having to make some really tough choices."
The five-year, 7-mill property tax levy would generate approximately $66.3 million annually for the district. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $245 per year, according to the district's official announcement. Collections would begin in January 2027 if voters approve it.
Craig's warning escalates the district's public messaging since the board voted 5-1-1 on Aug. 3 to place the measure on the ballot. Board member Kendra Mapp voted no and Vice President Kareem Moncree-Moffett abstained. As we reported that day, the board simultaneously voted 6-1 to rescind a 0.75% earned income tax levy that drew bipartisan backlash within days of its approval. Mapp cast the lone dissenting vote on that measure as well.
Cuts already made
The district has already trimmed deep.
At a June 22 board meeting, CPS eliminated 111 positions: 81 central office workers, 12 social workers, 10 assistant principals and eight counselors, according to WLWT reporting. Five mandatory unpaid furlough days were also imposed on teachers, counselors and social workers. The moves closed a projected $58 million budget gap and produced a balanced $634.6 million general-fund budget for 2026-27.
Craig said the next round of cuts, if the levy fails, would move beyond central office and support staff to target classroom teachers directly. CPS has not asked voters for new operating money in 10 years; the last new-money levy passed in 2016.
Superintendent Shauna Murphy said in the district's press release that further reductions would fundamentally alter what students and families experience in CPS schools.
What's at stake for east-side families
Without new revenue, the district has warned it could consolidate schools, increase class sizes, limit transportation eligibility, introduce pay-to-play fees for athletics and reduce enrichment programs. Craig acknowledged the burden on residents, specifically citing senior citizens whose homes have appreciated far beyond their original purchase price and single mothers working two jobs.
The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers called the board's switch to a property tax levy the right decision in an Aug. 4 statement reported by WCPO, arguing it distributes the cost across the community rather than placing it on working families' paychecks.
What's next
CPS schools, including Kilgour, Clark Montessori and Withrow, open for the 2026-27 school year on Aug. 19. The levy appears on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for all voters living within the CPS district.
