Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 046920 · Fayette County

Miami Trace Local School District

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

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Miami Trace Local School District: one referendum question

Renewal levy

Renewal levy of 2.2 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
2,259
2025-26
Performance index
90.3
2025-26
Graduation
96.6%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$15,569
2024-25
State share
37%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
59.8%
FY2026
Residential mills
25.2
tax year 2025
Home value
−3%
5-yr avg vs. 7 nearby districts
Enrollment

2,259 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 2,660 in 2006-07; −5.8% over five years against −9.1% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 90.3 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 4.0 stars overall; four-year graduation 96.6%.

Spending

$15,569 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), above the peer median of $15,162; the state supplies 37% of revenue and local taxes 46%.

Reserves

$23.57 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 59.8% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

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

Students

50% economically disadvantaged, 2% English learners, 13.7% with disabilities (2024-25).

Miami Trace enrolled 2,259 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 2,660 in 2006-07. Since 2006-07 it has changed −15.1%, against −16.6% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

Miami TraceRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
106999285782006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureMiami TracePeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged50%50%47%57th2024-25
English learners1.7%1.5%2.4%38th2024-25
Students with disabilities13.7%16.1%16.1%26th2024-25
Black1.0%1.8%3.4%13th2024-25
Hispanic4.6%3.3%4.2%56th2024-25
White88.7%87.0%88.7%50th2024-25
Multiracial5.3%4.6%4.4%62nd2024-25

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 Miami Trace’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.

MeasureMiami TraceRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools1,7581,0651,18068th2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice53476147th2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools83453973rd2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere197969780th2025-26

Community

MeasureMiami TraceRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$70,566$79,643$73,77844th2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate13.5%10.0%9.9%69th2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree15.6%22.0%21.9%21st2020–24 ACS
Median home value$189,700$201,600$196,40047th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Miami Trace averaged $163,880, 3% below the median of the 7 districts within 25 miles ($168,780). That ranks 6th of 8 in the area and at the 47th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseMiami TraceNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$126,400$140,600−10%$142,600
2017–21$149,300$148,100+1%$149,100
2018–22$175,000$167,000+5%$167,700
2019–23$179,000$186,300−4%$182,500
2020–24$189,700$201,600−6%$196,400
Five-release average$163,880$168,780−3%$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 Miami Trace's: Westfall (19 mi, $219,200); London (23 mi, $196,200); Greeneview (15 mi, $169,620); Wilmington (22 mi, $168,780); Fairfield Local (18 mi, $166,260); Adena (19 mi, $155,240); Washington Court House (4 mi, $133,140).

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: London, Wilmington, Adena, Westfall, Fairfield Local, Greeneview and Washington Court House.

Miami Trace’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 90.3 in 2025-26, against 86.2 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (58th percentile).

Miami TracePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
97928782782014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureMiami TracePeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)90.386.2regional 81.888.358th2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum81.9%78.2%regional 74.2%80.1%58th2025-26
Math proficient67.6%60.2%regional 52.3%63.5%61st2025-26
Four-year graduation rate96.6%96.6%regional 93.2%97.2%40thClass of 2025
Chronically absent13.1%19.1%regional 18.6%16.4%32nd2025-26
Overall rating (stars)4.03.5regional 3.04.062nd2025-26
Miami TracePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
99%97%95%92%90%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.

Miami Trace spent $15,569 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $15,162 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 37% of Miami Trace’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $23.57 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 59.8% of a year’s spending.

Miami TracePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$17,550$15,043$12,536$10,028$7,5212010-112014-152018-192024-25
Miami TracePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
65%53%41%30%18%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureMiami TracePeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$15,569$15,162regional $15,622$16,58031st2024-25
Revenue per pupil$17,805$15,418regional $16,900$18,15044th2024-25
State share of revenue37%45%regional 40%43%36th2024-25
Local share of revenue46%42%regional 44%42%60th2024-25
Federal share of revenue8%7%regional 10%6%60th2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$23.57 million$8.65 millionregional $9.38 million$8.3 million86thFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending59.8%31.6%regional 54.6%36.2%90thFY2026
Average teacher salary$66,876$70,509regional $63,317$69,16338th2024-25
Property value per pupil$377,333$259,229regional $263,460$267,19780th2023-24

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. Miami Trace’s effective residential rate was 25.21 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureMiami TraceRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses25.2122.0024.3956thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses23.2020.0026.5834th2024-25
Total voted operating millage25.3027.7541.879th2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$1,773$1,937$2,22831st2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income2.5%2.8%3.1%24th2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

Miami Trace has put 2 school tax issues to voters since 2017; all passed. 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
May 2022Emergency (renewal), 3.2 millsPassed55.62%
May 2017Emergency (renewal), 3.2 millsPassed55.38%

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 Miami Trace 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 Miami Trace 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
WilmingtonClinton222,051$15,86817.960.1%
LondonMadison232,104$13,63318.450.2%
Union-SciotoRoss282,022$13,73020.052.8%
Northwestern Local (Clark)Clark371,493$15,23020.044.1%
Franklin CityWarren432,355$16,54420.760.9%
GrahamChampaign451,394$15,82221.845.0%
New RichmondClermont611,693$15,57918.850.1%
RossButler642,234$15,09419.934.5%
WapakonetaAuglaize792,676$15,08019.939.2%
DoverTuscarawas1242,494$12,74120.348.3%
BarnesvilleBelmont1251,241$15,37620.351.7%
Madison Local (Lake)Lake2002,475$13,99919.649.5%

Regional peers 7 districts

The 7 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Miami Trace, 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
Washington Court HouseFayette41,682$17,34616.969.0%
GreeneviewGreene151,198$14,13316.841.5%
Fairfield LocalHighland18805$15,62217.342.7%
AdenaRoss191,021$14,29419.454.6%
WestfallPickaway191,232$18,45623.148.4%
WilmingtonClinton222,051$15,86817.960.1%
LondonMadison232,104$13,63318.450.2%

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