Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 044834 · Summit County

Stow-Munroe Falls City School District

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

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Stow-Munroe Falls City School District: one referendum question

Renewal levy

Renewal levy of 3.17 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
4,603
2025-26
Performance index
92.0
2025-26
Graduation
98.8%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$15,376
2024-25
State share
28%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
13.9%
FY2026
Residential mills
38.4
tax year 2025
Home value
−9%
5-yr avg vs. 12 nearby districts
Enrollment

4,603 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 5,745 in 2006-07; −10.0% over five years against −3.2% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 92.0 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 4.5 stars overall; four-year graduation 98.8%.

Spending

$15,376 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), above the peer median of $15,263; the state supplies 28% of revenue and local taxes 63%.

Reserves

$10.98 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 13.9% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

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

Students

40% economically disadvantaged, 3% English learners, 16.2% with disabilities (2024-25).

Stow-Munroe Falls enrolled 4,603 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 5,745 in 2006-07. Since 2006-07 it has changed −19.9%, against −11.9% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

Stow-Munroe FallsRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
103969084782006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureStow-Munroe FallsPeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged40%36%47%33rd2024-25
English learners3.4%2.9%2.4%64th2024-25
Students with disabilities16.2%16.1%16.1%51st2024-25
Black6.3%3.9%3.4%67th2024-25
Hispanic3.4%4.9%4.2%40th2024-25
White80.1%82.8%88.7%28th2024-25
Multiracial5.2%6.0%4.4%60th2024-25

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 Stow-Munroe Falls’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.

MeasureStow-Munroe FallsRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools4,0943,7841,18089th2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice7144636192nd2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools65643966th2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere112299757th2025-26

Community

MeasureStow-Munroe FallsRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$92,213$91,822$73,77881st2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate5.8%6.1%9.9%20th2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree46.8%42.7%21.9%90th2020–24 ACS
Median home value$248,600$274,850$196,40076th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Stow-Munroe Falls averaged $218,560, 9% below the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($240,050). That ranks 9th of 13 in the area and at the 79th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseStow-Munroe FallsNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$187,600$207,150−9%$142,600
2017–21$195,100$214,300−9%$149,100
2018–22$224,500$248,100−10%$167,700
2019–23$237,000$259,750−9%$182,500
2020–24$248,600$274,850−10%$196,400
Five-release average$218,560$240,050−9%$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 Stow-Munroe Falls's: Brecksville-Broadview Heights (13 mi, $302,320); Twinsburg (10 mi, $275,500); North Royalton (16 mi, $261,260); Strongsville (20 mi, $256,700); Medina City SD (20 mi, $254,740); Green Local (Summit) (16 mi, $245,760); Mayfield (24 mi, $234,340); Brunswick (18 mi, $229,240); Wadsworth (17 mi, $216,800); North Canton (21 mi, $209,380); Tallmadge (7 mi, $206,300); Berea (24 mi, $165,580).

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: Brunswick, North Canton, Berea, Tallmadge, Green Local (Summit), Wadsworth, Medina City SD, North Royalton, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Twinsburg, Strongsville and Mayfield.

Stow-Munroe Falls’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 92.0 in 2025-26, against 93.5 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (63rd percentile).

Stow-Munroe FallsPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
101948779722014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureStow-Munroe FallsPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)92.093.5regional 97.688.363rd2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum83.5%84.8%regional 88.5%80.1%63rd2025-26
Math proficient68.9%70.7%regional 76.3%63.5%64th2025-26
Four-year graduation rate98.8%97.8%regional 98.0%97.2%77thClass of 2025
Chronically absent16.5%17.3%regional 14.9%16.4%51st2025-26
Overall rating (stars)4.54.5regional 4.54.082nd2025-26
Stow-Munroe FallsPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
99%98%96%94%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.

Stow-Munroe Falls spent $15,376 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $15,263 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 Stow-Munroe Falls’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $10.98 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 13.9% of a year’s spending.

Stow-Munroe FallsPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$17,471$15,168$12,865$10,562$8,2592010-112014-152018-192024-25
Stow-Munroe FallsPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
52%40%27%14%1%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureStow-Munroe FallsPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$15,376$15,263regional $16,621$16,58028th2024-25
Revenue per pupil$17,132$16,239regional $16,831$18,15035th2024-25
State share of revenue28%33%regional 23%43%22nd2024-25
Local share of revenue63%54%regional 65%42%86th2024-25
Federal share of revenue4%6%regional 4%6%21st2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$10.98 million$22.26 millionregional $25.41 million$8.3 million63rdFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending13.9%29.8%regional 34.6%36.2%8thFY2026
Average teacher salary$82,408$78,395regional $83,172$69,16387th2024-25
Property value per pupil$307,765$297,977regional $358,151$267,19763rd2023-24

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. Stow-Munroe Falls’s effective residential rate was 38.38 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureStow-Munroe FallsRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses38.3830.7024.3996thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses38.7339.4926.5882nd2024-25
Total voted operating millage50.7075.5541.8767th2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$3,847$3,804$2,22885th2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income4.2%4.3%3.1%81st2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

Stow-Munroe Falls has put 6 school tax issues to voters since 2016; 5 passed and 1 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 2024BondFailed40.31%
May 2023Emergency (renewal), 6.28 millsPassed60.4%
Nov 2022Emergency (new), 6.93 millsPassed52.79%
Nov 2020Emergency (renewal), 4.61 millsPassed66.61%
Nov 2020Emergency (renewal), 6.53 millsPassed64.91%
Nov 2016Permanent improvement (new), 1.99 millsPassed56.32%

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 Stow-Munroe Falls 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 Stow-Munroe Falls 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
TallmadgeSummit72,408$14,93418.736.6%
Green Local (Summit)Summit163,785$14,22017.725.0%
WadsworthMedina173,990$16,67416.831.7%
BrunswickMedina185,528$15,91017.730.2%
North CantonStark214,216$14,87417.528.9%
BereaCuyahoga244,960$17,92018.444.6%
Perry Local (Stark)Stark283,965$14,08717.642.5%
DelawareDelaware1045,403$16,30919.536.3%
TroyMiami1633,728$15,04216.841.9%
NorthmontMontgomery1754,500$16,12517.648.5%
LebanonWarren1874,681$15,41920.232.4%
West ClermontClermont2077,509$15,10717.846.8%

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Stow-Munroe Falls, 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
TallmadgeSummit72,408$14,93418.736.6%
TwinsburgSummit103,715$17,53317.126.7%
Brecksville-Broadview HeightsCuyahoga133,518$17,18618.416.6%
North RoyaltonCuyahoga163,968$16,08020.931.6%
Green Local (Summit)Summit163,785$14,22017.725.0%
WadsworthMedina173,990$16,67416.831.7%
BrunswickMedina185,528$15,91017.730.2%
Medina City SDMedina205,531$16,56817.124.9%
StrongsvilleCuyahoga205,441$17,85717.224.6%
North CantonStark214,216$14,87417.528.9%
BereaCuyahoga244,960$17,92018.444.6%
MayfieldCuyahoga243,919$20,32017.736.2%

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