Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 047795 · Jefferson County

Edison Local School District

District briefing, fall 2026: enrollment, achievement, finances, property taxes and the levy record.

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Edison Local School District: one referendum question

Renewal levy

Renewal levy of 1.85 mills, 5 years for current expenses.

Summary of the issue’s terms; the official ballot wording had not been published when this briefing was built. Source: OSBA levy database (pre-election list)

Enrollment
1,353
2025-26
Performance index
91.9
2025-26
Graduation
94.6%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$17,828
2024-25
State share
28%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
69.6%
FY2026
Residential mills
23.9
tax year 2025
Home value
−2%
5-yr avg vs. 12 nearby districts
Enrollment

1,353 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 2,265 in 2006-07; −3.3% over five years against −7.8% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 91.9 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 4.0 stars overall; four-year graduation 94.6%.

Spending

$17,828 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), above the peer median of $17,342; the state supplies 28% of revenue and local taxes 58%.

Reserves

$15.24 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 69.6% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

23.86 effective residential mills for current expenses in 2026 (Ohio median 24.39).

Students

53% economically disadvantaged, 0% English learners, 16.3% with disabilities (2024-25).

Edison enrolled 1,353 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 2,265 in 2006-07. Since 2006-07 it has changed −40.3%, against −29.1% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

EdisonRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
105938067552006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureEdisonPeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged53%53%47%63rd2024-25
English learners0.1%0.0%0.4%27th2021-22
Students with disabilities16.3%16.1%16.1%53rd2024-25
Black0.2%0.7%1.1%11th2021-22
Hispanic1.2%1.8%4.2%3rd2024-25
White94.9%92.3%88.7%86th2024-25
Multiracial3.2%4.0%4.4%29th2024-25

Districts that serve free meals to every student report every student as economically disadvantaged. For the 123 Ohio districts where that raised the share by 25 points or more to 95% or above in one year, this briefing uses the district’s last share before the rise.

Where resident students go

Since 2021-22 the state pays community schools, EdChoice private schools and open-enrollment districts directly, so these students no longer appear as deductions in Edison’s budget, but the district still receives no state aid for them and, for most private and charter students in grades K–8, must provide or pay for transportation.

MeasureEdisonRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools1,1339261,18048th2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice100346162nd2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools45343955th2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere3551569794th2025-26

Community

MeasureEdisonRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$69,870$64,689$73,77842nd2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate10.9%12.4%9.9%56th2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree13.6%15.5%21.9%13th2020–24 ACS
Median home value$155,100$153,350$196,40024th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Edison averaged $132,120, 2% below the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($134,220). That ranks 7th of 13 in the area and at the 24th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseEdisonNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$106,500$115,850−8%$142,600
2017–21$116,300$123,150−6%$149,100
2018–22$133,800$136,650−2%$167,700
2019–23$148,900$142,100+5%$182,500
2020–24$155,100$153,350+1%$196,400
Five-release average$132,120$134,220−2%$167,900

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, median value of owner-occupied homes (table B25077), in nominal dollars. Consecutive releases share four of their five survey years, so the average is a smoothed level rather than five independent years. Nearby districts are those whose NCES office address lies within 25 miles of Edison's: Columbiana (23 mi, $181,360); United (20 mi, $175,240); Crestview Local (Columbiana) (20 mi, $171,160); Carrollton (20 mi, $161,380); Beaver (12 mi, $154,840); Minerva (24 mi, $143,940); Indian Creek (12 mi, $124,500); Southern Local (Columbiana) (7 mi, $118,060); Harrison Hills (25 mi, $112,320); East Palestine (22 mi, $106,280); Toronto (8 mi, $98,960); Buckeye Local (Jefferson) (24 mi, $94,080).

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Report Card and District Profile (Cupp) Report; U.S. Census ACS 5-year. Student characteristics compare with the peers; enrollment, school choice and community figures with the regional peers: Harrison Hills, Carrollton, Minerva, Beaver, Toronto, Columbiana, East Palestine, Indian Creek, Crestview Local (Columbiana), United, Southern Local (Columbiana) and Buckeye Local (Jefferson).

Edison’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 91.9 in 2025-26, against 85.9 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (62nd percentile).

EdisonPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
94898580762014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureEdisonPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)91.985.9regional 84.588.362nd2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum83.4%78.0%regional 76.7%80.1%62nd2025-26
Math proficient67.3%58.4%regional 57.8%63.5%60th2025-26
Four-year graduation rate94.6%97.8%regional 97.2%97.2%24thClass of 2025
Chronically absent14.7%22.5%regional 22.3%16.4%40th2025-26
Overall rating (stars)4.03.5regional 3.54.062nd2025-26
EdisonPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
99%96%94%91%88%2013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222024-25

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Report Card. No state tests in 2019-20; star ratings began in 2022-23.

Edison spent $17,828 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $17,342 for the peer median and $16,580 for the median Ohio district. Ohio’s formula assumes each district can raise a local share based on its property values and residents’ incomes; the state supplied 28% of Edison’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $15.24 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 69.6% of a year’s spending.

EdisonPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$18,874$16,172$13,470$10,768$8,0662010-112014-152018-192024-25
EdisonPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
93%69%46%23%0%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureEdisonPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$17,828$17,342regional $16,164$16,58068th2024-25
Revenue per pupil$19,517$17,677regional $17,126$18,15068th2024-25
State share of revenue28%43%regional 45%43%21st2024-25
Local share of revenue58%40%regional 41%42%80th2024-25
Federal share of revenue10%8%regional 9%6%76th2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$15.24 million$9.09 millionregional $6.14 million$8.3 million76thFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending69.6%36.2%regional 33.8%36.2%94thFY2026
Average teacher salary$63,522$69,682regional $64,515$69,16325th2024-25
Property value per pupil$488,752$313,862regional $275,398$267,19794th2023-24

ODEW District Profile (Cupp) Report; five-year forecast actuals (general operating funds, cash basis) as filed with ODEW.

Ohio’s H.B. 920 reduction factors cut the effective rate of voted levies as property values rise, so most levies raise a fixed number of dollars and districts must return to voters to keep pace; no district’s effective current-expense rate can fall below 20 mills. Edison’s effective residential rate was 23.86 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureEdisonRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses23.8622.0024.3947thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses35.0723.4226.5876th2024-25
Total voted operating millage35.3928.8841.8735th2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$1,415$1,596$2,22812th2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income2.0%2.5%3.1%5th2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

Edison has put 7 school tax issues to voters since 2017; 5 passed and 2 failed. Statewide, the Ohio School Boards Association records 2,342 school tax issues from 2016 through May 2026; 66% passed, and 39% of new-money issues.

ElectionIssueResultYes vote
Nov 2023Renewal (renewal), 5.9 millsPassed57.11%
May 2023Bond (new)Failed17.58%
Nov 2019Emergency (renewal), 3.47 millsPassed62.58%
Nov 2019Emergency (renewal), 2 millsPassed58.3%
Nov 2018Renewal (renewal), 5.9 millsPassed61.32%
May 2018Substitute (substitute), 7.2 millsPassed51.58%
Nov 2017Emergency (new), 7.3 millsFailed49.73%

Ohio School Boards Association school election results (unofficial), 2016–2026.

Ohio Department of Taxation and ODEW District Profile Report (effective millage); U.S. Census ACS 5-year; Ohio School Boards Association election results.

Wherever this briefing sets Edison beside other districts, it uses the groups below. A group figure is the middle value across its members, each counted equally, so one large member cannot dominate it.

Peers 12 districts

The 12 Ohio districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) most like Edison on four equally weighted factors: total enrollment (compared as a ratio), operating spending per pupil, students per teacher and the share of economically disadvantaged students, each difference scaled by how much the factor varies across districts, and none more than two standard deviations away on any one. The group starts with nearby districts that match closely (within half a standard deviation on average) and fills the rest from anywhere in the state. Peers carry the achievement, spending and staffing comparisons.

DistrictCountyMilesEnrollmentOperating spending per pupilStudents per teacherEcon. disadvantaged
TorontoJefferson8827$17,53815.860.3%
BeaverColumbiana121,644$13,18518.055.1%
CarrolltonCarroll201,618$16,46618.958.3%
MinervaStark241,534$14,47317.351.1%
Harrison HillsHarrison251,272$20,11217.152.9%
Martins FerryBelmont301,242$17,69418.466.3%
River ViewCoshocton671,433$16,98218.061.8%
Sheffield-Sheffield LakeLorain961,431$18,22016.249.9%
VermilionErie1041,563$17,93318.444.1%
North UnionUnion1371,366$17,59918.443.3%
BlanchesterClinton1931,058$17,13218.154.0%
Clermont NortheasternClermont2051,184$17,14617.050.6%

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Edison, straight line between district offices, whose profile on the same four factors is comparable: on average within one standard deviation. They carry enrollment, property taxes and home values, and their median sits beneath the peer median elsewhere. A district in both groups appears in both lists.

DistrictCountyMilesEnrollmentOperating spending per pupilStudents per teacherEcon. disadvantaged
Southern Local (Columbiana)Columbiana7747$20,87615.566.5%
TorontoJefferson8827$17,53815.860.3%
BeaverColumbiana121,644$13,18518.055.1%
Indian CreekJefferson121,838$15,27315.869.4%
UnitedColumbiana20943$16,19714.138.0%
CarrolltonCarroll201,618$16,46618.958.3%
Crestview Local (Columbiana)Columbiana201,075$15,17414.642.8%
East PalestineColumbiana22911$16,13114.660.1%
ColumbianaColumbiana23924$15,19717.037.6%
MinervaStark241,534$14,47317.351.1%
Buckeye Local (Jefferson)Jefferson241,302$21,91213.770.8%
Harrison HillsHarrison251,272$20,11217.152.9%

“Ohio median” is the middle value across Ohio’s city, local and exempted-village school districts; career centers and community schools are left out.