BOARDMAN, Ohio - Boardman Local Schools officials say they are facing more financial uncertainty after state lawmakers voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto and eliminate key levy options beginning in 2026.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, schools and other political subdivisions will no longer be able to place emergency, substitute emergency, replacement or combined levies on the ballot. Those levies, which generate fixed amounts of money or adjust old tax rates to current property values, have been used by districts for decades to fund day-to-day operations such as salaries and programs. Going forward, only renewal levies and brand-new millage levies will be allowed.

Superintendent Chris Neifer said the changes come at a difficult time. Boardman’s five-year financial forecast shows revenues declining and expenditures continuing to rise.

“It creates a lot more uncertainty for us here within the district,” Neifer said. “The more of these financial changes that we don’t control, the harder it is to make sure we’re still providing everything our kids need in order to succeed.”

Treasurer Arthur Ginnetti pointed to the district’s financial projections, saying the loss of levy flexibility could deepen the gap between revenues and expenses.

“With the elimination of that, you know, we will have to pay attention to our budget now more than ever,” Ginnetti said. “It’s almost on a daily basis now.”

Boardman currently has two renewal levies on the ballot, which make up about 14% of its budget. Neifer said they have been in place for decades and are not new taxes, but he emphasized the district has little choice but to depend on local taxpayers for funding.

“We empathize with our voters, because the burden of property taxes is heavy,” Neifer said. “But the reality is that’s where our revenue comes from.”

The superintendent added that the district already eliminated five positions through attrition last year. He said while cuts are not the preferred path, they remain an option if the district is unable to generate revenue under the new state limits.

State lawmakers said the changes were designed to provide property tax relief and simplify levy language, but opponents worry that stripping away emergency and replacement levies will reduce transparency and strain local services, especially schools.