Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 044586 · Montgomery County

Oakwood City School District

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

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Oakwood City School District: one referendum question

Permanent improvement levy

Permanent improvement levy of 1.8 mills, continuing (no end date) for general permanent improvements.

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
1,938
2025-26
Performance index
109.4
2025-26
Graduation
98.8%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$18,390
2024-25
State share
24%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
43.8%
FY2026
Residential mills
53.7
tax year 2025
Home value
+60%
5-yr avg vs. 12 nearby districts
Enrollment

1,938 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 2,113 in 2014-15; −0.6% over five years against −4.8% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 109.4 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 5.0 stars overall; four-year graduation 98.8%.

Spending

$18,390 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), above the peer median of $18,247; the state supplies 24% of revenue and local taxes 66%.

Reserves

$15.33 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 43.8% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

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

Students

6% economically disadvantaged, 1% English learners, 11.5% with disabilities (2024-25).

Oakwood enrolled 1,938 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 2,113 in 2014-15. Since 2006-07 it has changed −7.9%, against −13.8% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

OakwoodRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
103979084782006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureOakwoodPeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged6%13%47%1st2024-25
English learners1.4%1.9%2.4%29th2024-25
Students with disabilities11.5%12.3%16.1%12th2024-25
Black1.5%3.2%3.4%24th2024-25
Hispanic5.9%4.1%4.2%67th2024-25
White79.9%85.2%88.7%28th2024-25
Multiracial7.2%4.1%4.4%76th2024-25

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 Oakwood’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.

MeasureOakwoodRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools1,8921,3051,18070th2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice60666150th2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools742395th2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere1562977th2025-26

Community

MeasureOakwoodRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$153,162$81,982$73,77898th2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate2.7%8.8%9.9%2nd2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree74.4%27.0%21.9%99th2020–24 ACS
Median home value$367,400$233,650$196,40094th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Oakwood averaged $311,660, 60% above the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($194,790). That ranks highest of 13 in the area and at the 94th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseOakwoodNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$261,100$160,250+63%$142,600
2017–21$266,400$168,700+58%$149,100
2018–22$313,300$195,450+60%$167,700
2019–23$350,100$216,750+62%$182,500
2020–24$367,400$233,650+57%$196,400
Five-release average$311,660$194,790+60%$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 Oakwood's: Wayne (15 mi, $276,340); Miami East (25 mi, $239,100); Tipp City (16 mi, $223,600); Madison Local (Butler) (20 mi, $211,740); Franklin Monroe (24 mi, $198,340); Vandalia-Butler (11 mi, $195,080); Troy (22 mi, $194,500); Clark-Shawnee (23 mi, $183,840); Valley View (12 mi, $183,220); Carlisle (12 mi, $172,360); Greeneview (24 mi, $169,620); Preble Shawnee (21 mi, $166,120).

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: Carlisle, Preble Shawnee, Valley View, Miami East, Wayne, Tipp City, Madison Local (Butler), Clark-Shawnee, Franklin Monroe, Troy, Vandalia-Butler and Greeneview.

Oakwood’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 109.4 in 2025-26, against 106.8 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (98th percentile).

OakwoodPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
1131049586772014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureOakwoodPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)109.4106.8regional 89.588.398th2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum99.3%96.9%regional 81.2%80.1%99th2025-26
Math proficient89.7%86.0%regional 64.9%63.5%96th2025-26
Four-year graduation rate98.8%98.0%regional 98.0%97.2%77thClass of 2025
Chronically absent7.0%10.5%regional 14.4%16.4%8th2025-26
Overall rating (stars)5.05.0regional 4.04.095th2025-26
OakwoodPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
100%98%96%95%93%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.

Oakwood spent $18,390 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $18,247 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 24% of Oakwood’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $15.33 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 43.8% of a year’s spending.

OakwoodPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$19,463$16,691$13,920$11,149$8,3782010-112014-152018-192024-25
OakwoodPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
60%45%31%16%2%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureOakwoodPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$18,390$18,247regional $15,471$16,58073rd2024-25
Revenue per pupil$18,740$19,557regional $16,527$18,15059th2024-25
State share of revenue24%18%regional 35%43%16th2024-25
Local share of revenue66%72%regional 52%42%90th2024-25
Federal share of revenue2%2%regional 5%6%2nd2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$15.33 million$14.59 millionregional $9.03 million$8.3 million76thFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending43.8%31.0%regional 39.8%36.2%70thFY2026
Average teacher salary$87,811$90,103regional $71,681$69,16394th2024-25
Property value per pupil$246,723$440,011regional $268,117$267,19741st2023-24

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. Oakwood’s effective residential rate was 53.72 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureOakwoodRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses53.7223.9624.39100thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses83.4526.7126.5899th2024-25
Total voted operating millage139.7639.9541.8799th2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$8,207$2,573$2,22898th2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income5.4%3.1%3.1%94th2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

Oakwood has put 6 school tax issues to voters since 2016; 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 2025Bond (new)Passed57.74%
Nov 2023Operating (new), 6.75 millsPassed57.72%
Nov 2022Permanent improvement (renewal), 1.8 millsPassed71.33%
May 2019Combination (new), 4.99 millsPassed54.87%
May 2017Permanent improvement (renewal), 1.8 millsPassed77.5%
Nov 2016Operating (new), 5.75 millsPassed53.74%

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 Oakwood 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 Oakwood 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
WyomingHamilton381,837$16,99315.110.9%
MariemontHamilton421,502$19,32614.512.3%
Buckeye ValleyDelaware722,261$18,50217.022.9%
Ottawa HillsLucas137997$16,90916.13.4%
East HolmesHolmes1391,477$16,03315.720.6%
Copley-FairlawnSummit1642,580$17,39315.225.0%
Bay VillageCuyahoga1692,327$18,19614.99.4%
Rocky RiverCuyahoga1722,577$21,09015.813.3%
Nordonia HillsSummit1773,060$19,36816.415.2%
HudsonSummit1784,403$19,72415.87.9%
AuroraPortage1852,927$18,29817.310.5%
KenstonGeauga1902,470$17,66316.812.7%

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Oakwood, 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
Vandalia-ButlerMontgomery112,850$15,43317.546.8%
Valley ViewMontgomery121,693$16,71417.137.5%
CarlisleWarren121,459$17,12415.842.9%
WayneWarren151,442$15,51017.919.1%
Tipp CityMiami162,226$13,86418.419.9%
Madison Local (Butler)Butler201,342$14,82815.947.5%
Preble ShawneePreble211,186$18,68415.751.9%
TroyMiami223,728$15,04216.841.9%
Clark-ShawneeClark231,546$16,29317.051.1%
Franklin MonroeDarke24473$17,24014.631.6%
GreeneviewGreene241,198$14,13316.841.5%
Miami EastMiami251,277$14,83816.423.4%

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