Major budget cuts could be coming to Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools, the district warns, if voters reject a new income tax levy this November.
Issue 8 proposes a 0.75% earned-income tax levy. School officials have said if it fails, that could lead to the reduction of district staff and consolidation to one high school and one middle school alongside the closing of Eastlake Middle School and Jefferson Elementary School.
Brittany Matlock, a member and campaigner of Support WE Schools, an independent group of parents, community members and other stakeholders who are part of the Willoughby-Eastlake community, said the levy comes after the state enacted changes to Ohio's property tax system in December 2025.
The new rules limit how much additional money school districts can receive when property values rise, meaning schools may bring in less money from those increases, leaving them less to spend on day-to-day operations.
“Local public schools don't want to go to their voters. They understand. We're all made up of people with real budget, real issues, you know. But our kids are worth it,” Matlock said. “This is our civic duty. To ensure that the next generation has what they need and can be competitive in a 21st-century workforce.”
The levy is expected to generate an estimated $14 million in revenue through a 0.75% tax on wages and salaries for every resident in the school district. It's an earned income tax, which does not affect pensions, Social Security or investment income.
If approved, Matlock said, nearly $10 million would go annually for district operations, including staff salaries and transportation and another estimated $4 million would go toward the district's capital plan, which includes maintaining facilities and purchasing new technology and security equipment.
The district chose an income tax instead of a property tax to create another source of local revenue, addressing concerns from residents about higher property taxes, Matlock said.
“People have been very loud about not wanting another property tax,” Matlock said. “They’re (the district) trying to listen to the community and are going to do something different.”
