Withrow University High School's football team opens its season Friday, August 21. If Cincinnati voters reject a new earned-income tax levy in November, the Tigers and every other CPS athlete could face pay-to-play fees to stay on the field.

The Cincinnati Board of Education voted 5-2 on Monday, July 27, to place a five-year, 0.75% earned-income tax on the Tuesday, November 3, ballot. The district's announcement explicitly lists athletics among the programs the levy would protect, and Fox 19 reported that CPS officials warned a levy failure could force pay-to-play fees, school consolidations, and transportation cuts.

As we reported Monday, July 27, the levy would cost a household earning $50,000 about $375 per year.

The threat is not new. Superintendent Shauna Murphy named "requiring payment for sports participation" as a budget option she hoped to avoid at the board's June 23 meeting, according to Signal Cincinnati. CPS closed a nearly $58 million budget gap for 2026-27, but $6.7 million of the FY2027 budget relies on one-time revenue that will not be available in future years.

For Withrow, at 2520 Madison Road in Hyde Park, the stakes land close to home. The Tigers open against Walnut Hills at 6:30 p.m. on August 21, followed by a road trip to Chaminade Julienne Catholic on Friday, August 28, and a home game against Springboro on Friday, September 4. Clark Montessori, on Erie Avenue in Hyde Park, fields fall teams in soccer, cross country, and volleyball, though its 2026 schedules have not been posted.

"Our funds each year become less and less from the state," Board President Brandon Craig told Local 12 on Tuesday, July 28. "We're getting less support for the things that our students need most."

CPS has not passed a new-money levy since 2016, according to WCPO. The earned-income tax structure is a first for the district. Statewide, 24 of 32 school income-tax issues failed in the May 2026 primary.

No specific per-sport or per-student fee amounts have been announced. CPS has not said what pay-to-play would cost families or which sports could be cut first. Clark Montessori's open house is set for Thursday, August 13, from 4 to 6 p.m., where families may get more answers.

Voters decide November 3. The Withrow Tigers kick off August 21.