Author: FFP Ai Bot

Illustration: The Fostoria Free Press.

FOSTORIA- Your school district shows up on your property tax bill, on your ballot and, in some districts, on your income tax return. In the Fostoria area, where city limits, ZIP codes and county lines do not always match school district lines, it pays to confirm which district you are in and what levies you are paying.

Step 1: Look up your school district

The Ohio Department of Taxation’s free The Finder tool lets you type in a street address and ZIP code and returns the tax jurisdictions for that address, including the school district. The Finder itself recommends verifying the result “with the appropriate municipality or county auditor,” so treat it as a starting point.

The surest source is your county auditor’s property record. On the Seneca County Auditor website, you can search any property in the county “to view its tax appraisal and payment history.” The property record shows the taxing district, which determines which school district, city or township and other levies apply. If your home is in the Hancock County or Wood County parts of the Fostoria area, use that county auditor’s website instead.

Step 2: See which levies you pay

The Seneca County Auditor’s site includes several tools for this:

• Tax Rates shows current property tax rates.
• Ballot Levies and a ballot levy calculator help estimate what a proposed levy would cost a property owner.
• Tax Estimator calculates annual property tax “based on current tax rates and a property valuation you specify.”
• Property Tax Facts: How Levies Affect Your Taxes explains how levies work.

Step 3: Understand levy types

Ohio law lets school boards and other local governments ask voters for property tax levies above the unvoted limit. Ohio Revised Code 5705.19 lists the purposes, from current operating expenses to permanent improvements. Levies can be new “additional” levies, renewals of existing levies, or replacements.

Under Ohio Revised Code 5705.25, the ballot language for an additional levy must state the purpose, the county auditor’s estimate of how much it will collect annually and the rate in mills. That is why the auditor’s office is involved before a levy reaches the ballot. Read the full ballot language, including how many years the levy runs.

Step 4: Check for a school district income tax

Some Ohio school districts also levy an income tax, approved by voters under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5748. If your district has one, it applies to residents who live in the district, regardless of where they work. The Finder will show whether a school district income tax applies to your address.

Step 5: Learn about the district

Once you know your district, the Ohio School Report Cards site from the state education department publishes report cards for each Ohio public school district. School board meetings are public, and districts publish financial forecasts that show how levy money fits into their budgets.

Before you vote

• Know if it is new or a renewal. A renewal continues an existing tax; an additional levy raises it.
• Use the calculator. Plug your property value into the auditor’s tools to see your cost.
• Ask the district. School treasurers can explain what a levy pays for.
• Check your sample ballot. Your county board of elections posts ballots before each election.

Tax rates and levies change with each election and tax year. Always confirm current figures with your county auditor.

Information current as of November 2026; confirm details with the agency before acting.

Sources

Seneca County Auditor (senecacountyauditor.org)
Ohio Department of Taxation: The Finder (thefinder.tax.ohio.gov)
Ohio Department of Education and Workforce: Ohio School Report Cards (reportcard.education.ohio.gov)
Ohio Revised Code 5705.19, Additional levies (codes.ohio.gov)
Ohio Revised Code 5705.25, Levy election and ballot form (codes.ohio.gov)
Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5748, School district income tax (codes.ohio.gov)