A dozen school levies and bond issues will be put before voters in 10 Greater Cincinnati school districts Tuesday but educators worry the vote comes at a precarious time.

        A slowing economy, coupled with taxpayers' hope for a legislative cure-all solution to Ohio's school-funding problems this June, may deter voters from approving property-tax increases, officials say.

        In Warren County, residents are already feeling the pinch of increased taxes from last year's property reappraisal. The higher tax bills were due in February.

        “Even voters who support the schools may be becoming more cautious in their own budgeting and spending plans,” said Randy Oppenheimer, spokesman for Fairfield Schools. “That's part of why we've kept this levy (2.9 mills) as absolutely small as we can.”

        Not all economic news, however, is bad for schools. Declining interest rates may mean less return on investment but it also means lower interest payments for school districts that typically take 25 to 30 years to pay off bonds.

        Lebanon schools, trying to pass a $50 million bond issue for school construction, face the worst and best of the May ballot's timing, officials say.

BEECHWOOD TAX INCREASE

In Northern Kentucky's only election Tuesday, Beechwood Independent Schools in Fort Mitchell is seeking a property-tax increase.     The district wants to increase real-estate and tangible-property taxes by 14 cents, from 53.5 cents to 67.5 cents per $100 assessed value.     The increase would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $140 in property taxes. That increase would add about $464,000 to the district's $6 million annual budget.

        Voters there may be dissuaded from voting for the issue in favor of waiting for the Ohio legislature's solution to inequities in school funding, said Superintendent Bill Sears. The Ohio Supreme Court imposed a June 15 deadline. However, the legislature will not address school construction costs as part of the funding solutions.

        “There are some people who believe the legislature is going to relieve all the homeowners' responsibility from funding schools,” Mr. Sears said. “That's not going to happen. I have not seen a solution that gets rid of real-estate taxes. Real-estate taxes are here to stay.”

        But Mr. Sears said interest rates, lowered three times by the Federal Reserve this year, will save the school district money over the length of the bond issue.

        “It's the absolute optimum time for bond issues,” he said.

        Officials facing school levies are not so lucky. They face the challenge of convincing voters the legislature will not provide full relief from their property tax burden — even if legislators meet the June 15 deadline to find solutions for school funding.

        “Our tactic is to remind people these are proposals,” said Springboro Community Schools superintendent David Baker.

        “These things have not passed yet, and even if they did pass in some form, we would still need to ask for levies. We need money now. We cannot wait until the state makes a decision.”

        Even if the school-funding deadline were not approaching, school districts would also have to compete with the slowing economy and rising gasoline prices for residents' money.

        Still, school officials are hopeful.

        “I think the majority of people realize the need outweighs the slowing economy,” Mr. Sears said.

        A review of each district's issues:

Butler County        

        • Edgewood: A 6.9-mill continuing operating levy would raise $2.13 million annually, which would increases taxes $211 annually on a house with a market value of $100,000.

        • Fairfield: A 2.9-mill continuing operating levy raises $3 million annually and would cost the owner of a $100,000 house an additional $89 annually.

        • Middletown: A 4.35-mill renewal of a three-year operating levy first approved by voters in 1995 and renewed in 1998, when the Middletown and Monroe districts were combined. Middletown's portion of the levy would provide the district with about $4 million in 2002 through 2004. Taxes would not increase if approved.

        • Monroe: A 4.35-mill, five-year operating levy first approved by voters in 1995 and renewed in 1998, when the Middletown and Monroe districts were combined. Monroe's share of the levy would raise $930,418 each of the next five years with collections beginning in January. Taxes would not increase if approved.

Clermont County        

        • Milford: A $43.6 million bond issue, or a 4.1-mill property tax increase estimated to cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $125 in annual property taxes for phase one of a facilities project. The bond issue includes building four schools.

Warren County

        • Carlisle: Two issues, including a 2-mill continuing permanent improvement levy that would replace a five-year levy due to expire in December 2002. It would raise $330,625 annually. The owner of a house with a market value of $100,000 would pay an additional $14 annually. Voters will also be asked to approve a 3.8-mill bond issue that would provide $6.57 million to pay for classroom additions at two schools. It would cost the owner of a house with a market value of $100,000 and additional $116 annually.

        • Lebanon: A $50 million bond issue, estimated to be about 5.8 mills, to build new school facilities for the district. The bond issue would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $177 annually in new property taxes.

        • Mason: A phase-in operating levy that begins at 6.95 mills and increases 1.5 mills each of the next two years, costing the owner of a $100,000 house $213 in property tax in 2002, $259 in 2003 and $305 in 2004.

        • Springboro: Two levies on the ballot, including renewal of a 1.2-mill emergency operating levy, which now costs owners of a $100,000 home about $45 annually; and a permanent improvement levy for 2.14 mills, which would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $75 annually.

        • Wayne: Replacement of a 2-mill permanent improvement levy passed in 1991, which would generate about $290,000 annually for five years.
       

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