Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 044511 · Hamilton County

North College Hill City School District

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

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

North College Hill City School District: one referendum question

Issue 5 · School district income tax

Shall an annual income tax of 1.25 percent on the earned income of individuals residing in the school district be imposed by the North College Hill City School District, for 5 years, beginning January 1, 2027, for the purpose of current expenses?

Ballot wording. Source: Hamilton County BOE certified November 2026 Ballot Issues (ballot language)

Enrollment
1,289
2025-26
Performance index
54.8
2025-26
Graduation
88.1%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$18,061
2024-25
State share
61%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
18.1%
FY2026
Residential mills
22.1
tax year 2025
Home value
−38%
5-yr avg vs. 11 nearby districts
Enrollment

1,289 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 1,676 in 2012-13; −2.6% over five years against −12.9% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 54.8 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 2.5 stars overall; four-year graduation 88.1%.

Spending

$18,061 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), above the peer median of $17,689; the state supplies 61% of revenue and local taxes 18%.

Reserves

$4.19 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 18.1% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

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

Students

98% economically disadvantaged, 4% English learners, 22.9% with disabilities (2024-25).

North College Hill enrolled 1,289 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 1,676 in 2012-13. Since 2006-07 it has changed −15.0%, against −15.9% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

North College HillRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
1141059686772006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureNorth College HillPeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged98%100%47%87th2024-25
English learners4.0%8.5%2.4%70th2024-25
Students with disabilities22.9%17.8%16.1%96th2024-25
Black76.7%9.5%3.4%98th2024-25
Hispanic6.4%2.3%4.2%70th2024-25
White6.4%85.7%88.7%1st2024-25
Multiracial10.4%7.6%4.4%91st2024-25

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 North College Hill’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.

MeasureNorth College HillRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools1,1471,4441,18048th2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice2462216177th2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools1961063990th2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere94989749th2025-26

Community

MeasureNorth College HillRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$63,635$77,038$73,77829th2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate21.1%10.4%9.9%90th2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree25.5%24.3%21.9%63rd2020–24 ACS
Median home value$149,100$222,600$196,40019th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in North College Hill averaged $113,560, 38% below the median of the 11 districts within 25 miles ($184,440). That ranks 11th of 12 in the area and at the 12th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseNorth College HillNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$86,100$146,700−41%$142,600
2017–21$91,200$152,800−40%$149,100
2018–22$111,900$182,700−39%$167,700
2019–23$129,500$209,700−38%$182,500
2020–24$149,100$222,600−33%$196,400
Five-release average$113,560$184,440−38%$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 North College Hill's: New Richmond (24 mi, $249,860); Clermont Northeastern (25 mi, $204,860); Norwood (7 mi, $200,320); Princeton (10 mi, $192,820); Edgewood (18 mi, $186,220); Goshen (21 mi, $184,440); Finneytown (2 mi, $170,620); Reading Community (7 mi, $167,740); Winton Woods (5 mi, $159,700); Middletown (22 mi, $127,600); Lockland (5 mi, $93,700).

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: Winton Woods, Finneytown, Clermont Northeastern, Norwood, Middletown, New Richmond, Princeton, Goshen, Reading Community, Lockland and Edgewood.

North College Hill’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 54.8 in 2025-26, against 77.7 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (0th percentile).

North College HillPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
98836752372014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureNorth College HillPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)54.877.7regional 78.488.30th2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum49.7%70.5%regional 71.1%80.1%0th2025-26
Math proficient14.3%48.6%regional 48.8%63.5%0th2025-26
Four-year graduation rate88.1%95.6%regional 93.9%97.2%4thClass of 2025
Chronically absent54.1%24.6%regional 28.9%16.4%99th2025-26
Overall rating (stars)2.53.0regional 3.54.04th2025-26
North College HillPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
100%93%86%80%73%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.

North College Hill spent $18,061 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $17,689 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 61% of North College Hill’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $4.19 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 18.1% of a year’s spending.

North College HillPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$19,283$16,128$12,972$9,817$6,6622010-112014-152018-192024-25
North College HillPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
53%39%26%13%0%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureNorth College HillPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$18,061$17,689regional $17,048$16,58070th2024-25
Revenue per pupil$18,425$18,282regional $17,952$18,15054th2024-25
State share of revenue61%59%regional 44%43%91st2024-25
Local share of revenue18%20%regional 43%42%7th2024-25
Federal share of revenue17%12%regional 8%6%96th2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$4.19 million$7.2 millionregional $12.98 million$8.3 million16thFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending18.1%29.0%regional 40.7%36.2%11thFY2026
Average teacher salary$75,560$68,113regional $72,718$69,16375th2024-25
Property value per pupil$160,944$183,655regional $220,375$267,1978th2023-24

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. North College Hill’s effective residential rate was 22.09 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureNorth College HillRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses22.0931.4924.3937thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses27.7937.1126.5856th2024-25
Total voted operating millage57.4747.0941.8776th2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$1,846$2,683$2,22834th2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income2.9%3.6%3.1%43rd2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

North College Hill has put 1 school tax issues to voters since 2026; none 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 2026Income tax (new), 1.25%Failed43.37%

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 North College Hill 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 North College Hill 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
FinneytownHamilton21,070$18,12216.967.1%
Winton WoodsHamilton54,048$17,04817.699.8%
WellstonJackson1081,198$19,54015.9100.0%
IrontonLawrence1111,172$17,12417.599.9%
Dawson-BryantLawrence1141,039$17,56816.799.8%
Gallia CountyGallia1191,963$18,78516.399.8%
South PointLawrence1191,300$16,76216.499.1%
New Lexington School DistrictPerry1301,737$19,41616.4100.0%
CrooksvillePerry1361,030$18,26718.5100.0%
CoshoctonCoshocton1611,458$17,55117.297.7%
ClearviewLorain1981,082$17,41916.1100.0%
Painesville CityLake2452,567$17,81016.9100.0%

Regional peers 11 districts

The 11 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of North College Hill, 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
FinneytownHamilton21,070$18,12216.967.1%
Winton WoodsHamilton54,048$17,04817.699.8%
LocklandHamilton5437$23,38816.199.2%
NorwoodHamilton71,671$20,33114.585.8%
Reading CommunityHamilton71,339$15,04815.158.3%
PrincetonHamilton105,556$18,69016.672.0%
EdgewoodButler183,008$14,74218.153.5%
GoshenClermont212,597$15,90718.353.2%
MiddletownButler225,620$16,36815.8100.0%
New RichmondClermont241,693$15,57918.850.1%
Clermont NortheasternClermont251,184$17,14617.050.6%

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