Chillicothe Schools Ask for 0.75% Earned-Income Tax on Nov. 3 Ballot

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Chillicothe City School District is asking for a 0.75 percent earned-income tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. The term is five years. The tax would hit wages, salaries, tips and self-employment income. It would not hit Social Security, pensions, interest or capital gains.

That design is the whole argument, and the whole argument against the last try. Residents responding to the district remembered a property-tax request. One reply, pointing at the district FAQ, said this version leaves retirement and fixed incomes out. The district’s own graphic says the same thing.

The arithmetic is plain. Three-quarters of a percent is 75 cents on every $100 earned, or $7.50 on every $1,000. A household with $40,000 in earned income would owe about $25 a month. At $60,000, about $37.50. Community for Cavs, the campaign urging a yes vote, says the treasurer told the board on Aug. 24 that the district is on track to be insolvent in under five years without a change in funding or costs. The same site says the district cut $2 million last year and has already locked in another $3.9 million in reductions for 2026–27.

The public back-and-forth is the campaign in miniature. One side lists lost music teachers, gym teachers, an art teacher, aides and bigger classes. Another asks about administrator pay. A reply cites the FAQ for two claims: that the district spends 3 percentage points below the state average as a share of its budget, and that six administrator jobs have been cut since last year. Jason Burnham Jr. asked what is different from the request voters already saw. The answer that came back was the tax base.

The district FAQ is linked from the district’s announcement. The yes campaign is at communityforcavs.com.

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