Ohio school districts are financed with a combination of state, local and federal funds.

• At the state level, school districts receive funding from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's general revenue funds and Ohio Lottery profits.

• At the local level, school districts receive funding from locally levied property taxes and/or income taxes approved by voters.

• Federal funds come to school districts in the form of grants that are restricted for specific purposes.

When it comes to school taxes on the ballot, there are three types of funds:

• Operating Levy: Dollars used to keep the district running, such as salaries, benefits, utilities, supplies, busing, classroom materials and other district expenses. These funds can be raised via property, income or earnings tax and must be approved by voters.

• Bond Issue: This money can only be used for building projects and repayment of debt issued for the construction and renovation of our buildings. A bond issue must be approved by voters.

• Permanent Improvement Levy: Permanent improvement funds or "P.I." funds can only be used on items that have an expected useful life of five years or more, such as furniture, textbooks and buses. A permanent improvement levy must be approved by voters.