Op-Ed | Dayton Public Schools Need To Do Better

October 25, 2026 – On November 3^rd, Dayton voters will have an important decision to make about the cost of local government. Dayton Issue 4 would impose a new property tax levy intended to generate an additional $14.7 million for Dayton Public Schools. Before asking families, property owners, renters, and businesses to pay more, the district must demonstrate why this additional funding is necessary, what steps it has taken to control costs, and how the investment will produce measurable improvements for students.

The district has not demonstrated that it has exhausted opportunities to reduce costs, nor has it established the kind of constructive partnership with the business community that our region needs. Yet it is asking Dayton residents and employers to shoulder another financial burden.

Our students deserve every opportunity to succeed. Our taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and a clear understanding of how their money will be spent. Those expectations should not be controversial. They should be the foundation of public trust.

Student outcomes should lead the conversations. Dayton Public Schools serves more than 12,000 students. That represents an enormous opportunity, not only for those students and their families, but for employers throughout the Dayton region who need a skilled and prepared workforce.

Businesses across our region have career opportunities today that can help graduates build meaningful futures and strengthen our local economy. But those opportunities depend on students receiving the education, skills, and preparation they need to succeed after graduation.

Dayton Public Schools has a four-year graduation rate of 66.7%. That means approximately one in three students do not graduate within four years. Each student who fails to earn a diploma represents a missed opportunity for that individual and a challenge for a regional economy that needs a strong workforce talent pipeline.

Consider the graduation rates for other Ohio urban school districts:

Financially, Dayton taxpayers are already making a substantial investment. DPS has eight existing property tax assessments and now they want to pass a ninth levy on the backs of the people and businesses in the City of Dayton:

Additionally, Dayton Public Schools has not adequately addressed downtown student safety issues regarding student bussing on the RTA, and they have rejected repeated attempts by the community to address student bussing. Transferring students downtown is not in the best interest of the students and DPS needs to step up to address this issue.

The bottom line is that we need a partner in Dayton Public Schools that is a sound steward of taxpayer dollars, prepares kids for our regional workforce and is a collaborator with the community. The Dayton Public School board needs to come to the table with a willingness to work with the business community and to look at creative solutions to the district’s financial, safety, and workforce issues. A new and additional $14.7 million property tax levy will directly impact property owners, renters and families in the city of Dayton, without any new results for the students. Throwing more money at a problem, doesn’t fix the problem.

Vote NO on Dayton Issue 4. Dayton’s students deserve opportunity, and Dayton’s taxpayers deserve accountability.

VIEW ARTICLE AS FEATURED IN THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS

Chris Kershner
President & CEO
Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce