About
Mentor Public Schools will have a five-year, 3.5-mill operating levy on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot. If approved by voters, the levy would generate $9.6 million per year to support the district’s general operating budget—the day-to-day costs required to maintain current services for our students.

Why Is a Levy Needed?
Like many public school districts in Ohio, Mentor Public Schools faces rising costs while revenue has remained relatively flat.
Over the years, district leadership has made millions of dollars in cuts to right-size its budget in proportion to declining enrollment. After the failure of the May 2026 levy, a plan to make $10 million in budget cuts was implemented. All of the district's cost-saving measures have included:
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Reducing staff
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Closing and selling school buildings
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Redistricting schools
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Changing employee benefit plans
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Cutting departmental and administration budgets
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Pursuing grants and alternative revenue sources
Thanks to these efforts and careful long-term planning, the district has passed only one new-money operating levy in the past 20 years (in 2016).



