School Boards moving ahead with inside millage shifts that would raise property taxes
DOVER – Financial moves by three area school districts to fund capital improvements while raising property taxes are back on track for 2027 after they were blocked for 2026.
Dover, Indian Valley and Claymont School Boards have again approved shifting inside millage to pay for things like building improvements or new construction.
The Tuscarawas County Budget Commission stopped them last year due to procedural issues but approved the moves for 2027 earlier this month, pending the districts finalizing their budgets for the upcoming school year.
Dover officials last year said the money would be used to build a new school or a big addition at Dover Middle School. Superintendent Karie McCrate says those plans are in a “purposeful pause” as questions still linger at the state level regarding property taxes and school funding.
Claymont Superintendent Brian Rentsch says district officials there are moving ahead with “cautious optimism” on facility plans that could include closing buildings and adding onto the high school.
Indian Valley Superintendent Ira Wentworth says that district’s plans involve repairs and maintenance of roofs, HVAC systems and other permanent improvements for buildings that are now 20 years old.
These millage shifts would raise property taxes by roughly $140 to $175 per year per $100,000 of home value, depending on the district. Residents could see those increases in February 2027 or later this year depending the resolution of a case currently in appeals court.
The Tuscarawas County Budget Commission blocked the districts’ attempts to do the same thing last year but approved the moves for 2027. County Auditor Larry Lindberg says last year’s refusal was about procedure. He says the districts have followed proper procedure this year.
Lindberg says the dispute involving the current fiscal year is still in the appeals process. For next year, the districts still must finalize their budgets and demonstrate a need to the budget commission. The resolution of those issues will determine when residents see property tax increases.