Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 044842 · Cuyahoga County

Strongsville City School District

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

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Strongsville City School District: one referendum question

Issue 9 · New operating levy

An additional tax for the benefit of the Strongsville City School District for the purpose of current expenses that the County Fiscal Officer estimates will collect $15,427,256 annually, at a rate not exceeding 6.7 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $235 for each $100,000 of the County Fiscal Officer’s market value, for five years, commencing in 2026, first due in calendar year 2027. The County Fiscal Officer has certified that the amount by which the carry-over balance in the district’s general operating budget from the preceding fiscal year exceeds the district’s general fund expenditures made in the preceding fiscal year is $0, which is 0% of those expenditures.

Ballot wording. Source: Cuyahoga County BOE issues list (ballot language)

Enrollment
5,441
2025-26
Performance index
100.1
2025-26
Graduation
98.9%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$17,857
2024-25
State share
19%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
38.9%
FY2026
Residential mills
27.1
tax year 2025
Home value
+7%
5-yr avg vs. 12 nearby districts
Enrollment

5,441 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 6,988 in 2006-07; +3.2% over five years against −7.7% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 100.1 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 5.0 stars overall; four-year graduation 98.9%.

Spending

$17,857 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), above the peer median of $17,287; the state supplies 19% of revenue and local taxes 67%.

Reserves

$37.71 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 38.9% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

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

Students

25% economically disadvantaged, 5% English learners, 11.9% with disabilities (2024-25).

Strongsville enrolled 5,441 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 6,988 in 2006-07. Since 2006-07 it has changed −22.1%, against −19.6% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

StrongsvilleRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
105968880722006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureStrongsvillePeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged25%24%47%13th2024-25
English learners5.1%1.9%2.4%77th2024-25
Students with disabilities11.9%14.9%16.1%14th2024-25
Black3.6%3.2%3.4%53rd2024-25
Hispanic6.5%5.2%4.2%71st2024-25
White75.1%83.5%88.7%23rd2024-25
Multiracial3.7%5.6%4.4%37th2024-25

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 Strongsville’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.

MeasureStrongsvilleRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools5,2333,4401,18093rd2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice1,0684256197th2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools172453988th2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere1720977th2025-26

Community

MeasureStrongsvilleRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$103,629$97,478$73,77890th2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate5.4%6.0%9.9%16th2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree48.8%42.4%21.9%90th2020–24 ACS
Median home value$299,200$275,900$196,40087th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Strongsville averaged $256,700, 7% above the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($239,050). That ranks 5th of 13 in the area and at the 88th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseStrongsvilleNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$216,200$198,900+9%$142,600
2017–21$227,300$211,500+7%$149,100
2018–22$259,900$245,250+6%$167,700
2019–23$280,900$263,700+7%$182,500
2020–24$299,200$275,900+8%$196,400
Five-release average$256,700$239,050+7%$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 Strongsville's: Solon (21 mi, $350,420); Avon Lake (17 mi, $312,340); Brecksville-Broadview Heights (10 mi, $302,320); Twinsburg (18 mi, $275,500); Medina City SD (11 mi, $254,740); Copley-Fairlawn (16 mi, $239,840); Nordonia Hills (15 mi, $238,260); Brunswick (5 mi, $229,240); Wadsworth (20 mi, $216,800); Olmsted Falls (7 mi, $213,660); Cloverleaf (20 mi, $212,280); Berea (4 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: Medina City SD, Twinsburg, Brunswick, Wadsworth, Avon Lake, Berea, Solon, Olmsted Falls, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Cloverleaf, Nordonia Hills and Copley-Fairlawn.

Strongsville’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 100.1 in 2025-26, against 97.8 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (88th percentile).

StrongsvillePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
104979185782014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureStrongsvillePeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)100.197.8regional 97.188.388th2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum90.8%88.7%regional 88.0%80.1%88th2025-26
Math proficient79.7%75.8%regional 74.3%63.5%88th2025-26
Four-year graduation rate98.9%98.3%regional 98.8%97.2%79thClass of 2025
Chronically absent13.6%14.6%regional 14.1%16.4%35th2025-26
Overall rating (stars)5.04.5regional 4.54.095th2025-26
StrongsvillePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
100%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.

Strongsville spent $17,857 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $17,287 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 19% of Strongsville’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $37.71 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 38.9% of a year’s spending.

StrongsvillePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$18,866$16,260$13,654$11,048$8,4422010-112014-152018-192024-25
StrongsvillePeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
89%67%45%23%1%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureStrongsvillePeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$17,857$17,287regional $17,455$16,58068th2024-25
Revenue per pupil$16,694$17,415regional $16,982$18,15027th2024-25
State share of revenue19%22%regional 20%43%8th2024-25
Local share of revenue67%66%regional 68%42%91st2024-25
Federal share of revenue4%4%regional 4%6%17th2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$37.71 million$29.67 millionregional $20.42 million$8.3 million94thFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending38.9%34.7%regional 31.0%36.2%57thFY2026
Average teacher salary$83,982$84,557regional $83,876$69,16389th2024-25
Property value per pupil$445,078$361,918regional $398,525$267,19790th2023-24

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. Strongsville’s effective residential rate was 27.11 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureStrongsvilleRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses27.1133.7724.3966thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses37.4939.9526.5879th2024-25
Total voted operating millage77.7873.6441.8790th2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$5,352$4,008$2,22893rd2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income5.2%4.5%3.1%92nd2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

Strongsville has put 8 school tax issues to voters since 2016; 3 passed and 5 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
May 2026Bond (new)Failed48%
Nov 2024Operating (new), 4.9 millsFailed39.88%
Mar 2024Renewal (renewal), 5.9 millsFailed48.41%
Nov 2023Renewal (renewal), 5.9 millsFailed46.16%
Nov 2021Renewal (renewal), 6 millsPassed55.18%
May 2019Operating (new), 5.9 millsPassed53.57%
Nov 2018Operating (new), 7.9 millsFailed38.12%
Nov 2016Renewal (renewal), 6 millsPassed61.32%

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 Strongsville 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 Strongsville 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
BereaCuyahoga44,960$17,92018.444.6%
BrunswickMedina55,528$15,91017.730.2%
Medina City SDMedina115,531$16,56817.124.9%
Avon LakeLorain173,200$17,53716.814.7%
TwinsburgSummit183,715$17,53317.126.7%
WadsworthMedina203,990$16,67416.831.7%
MentorLake376,565$17,04216.836.2%
Buckeye ValleyDelaware932,261$18,50217.022.9%
PerrysburgWood955,304$15,03017.613.8%
New Albany-PlainFranklin994,847$17,80316.815.8%
Sycamore CommunityHamilton1965,858$18,63516.618.6%
Forest HillsHamilton2036,528$15,84916.518.8%

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Strongsville, 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
BereaCuyahoga44,960$17,92018.444.6%
BrunswickMedina55,528$15,91017.730.2%
Olmsted FallsCuyahoga73,258$17,20018.924.9%
Brecksville-Broadview HeightsCuyahoga103,518$17,18618.416.6%
Medina City SDMedina115,531$16,56817.124.9%
Nordonia HillsSummit153,060$19,36816.415.2%
Copley-FairlawnSummit162,580$17,39315.225.0%
Avon LakeLorain173,200$17,53716.814.7%
TwinsburgSummit183,715$17,53317.126.7%
CloverleafMedina202,361$17,51717.340.4%
WadsworthMedina203,990$16,67416.831.7%
SolonCuyahoga214,494$19,59518.418.1%

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