Monday, October 5th, 2026

Welcome to Monday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.

On this day in 1962, James Bond hit the big screen in "Dr. No," and the Beatles released their first single, "Love Me Do."
Top of the Fold: Ohio's gas tax holiday is now in effect, saving drivers about $7 per fill-up.

Plus, today is the last day to register to vote. And the five Ohio school districts with the most to lose Nov. 3. Plus, why Columbus schools can't afford to overpay for a new building.

COLUMBUS — Ohio's 90-day gas tax holiday is now in effect, cutting the state's 38.5-cent gasoline tax and 47-cent diesel tax to 1 cent a gallon.

The suspension began Sunday and runs until about the new year. State leaders estimate the average driver will save about $7 per fill-up, or a little more than $80 over 90 days. Savings may arrive gradually, since stations are still selling fuel they bought before the cut.

The law bars dealers from keeping the tax cut as profit. The state is covering the $725 million cost from its general fund.

COLUMBUS — Ohio's early voting begins Tuesday, the day after today's 9 p.m. registration deadline. 

In 2024, about 30% of registered voters cast ballots early. Mail ballots must be requested by Oct. 27 and arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, a new deadline this year. 

In-person voters need photo ID, like a driver's license or passport. Voters without one can vote by mail using the last four digits of their Social Security number, which must match their voter record.

For more information, go here.

CLEVELAND — Emergency visits for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, severe vomiting tied to frequent marijuana use, are climbing, especially among people ages 15 to 24, the CDC says. Nearly 200,000 people nationally visited ERs with the condition from January 2023 to May 2026. Part of the jump follows a new diagnosis code introduced last October, Cleveland health officials note. The illness can come from smoking, vaping or edibles. With recreational marijuana legal in Ohio since 2023, a Cleveland nonprofit is warning young people.

OHIO — Some Ohio school districts are asking voters for money on Nov. 3. If voters say no, students could lose sports, teachers, and even full-day kindergarten.

Two districts are in the most danger. The state has already warned both of them about money problems.

Maumee City Schools is spending more than it takes in, according to the district. It says it could run out of cash by 2029 without new money. It has already cut about a dozen jobs. Now it is asking voters for a 1.25% income tax. The state ordered Maumee to plan cuts last week, The Toledo Blade reported.

Cincinnati Public Schools faces a $44.5 million shortfall by 2029, the state says, according to WVXU. The district wants a new property tax. The state is still making it plan cuts in case the levy fails.

In Sylvania, a 1% income tax is on the ballot. If it fails, the district says it would cut about $11.3 million, The Blade and WTOL reported. Sports, clubs, honors classes and full-day kindergarten could all go.

Pickerington is trying again after voters said no in May, WOSU reported. That loss already cost the district $3.25 million in cuts. This time, it is asking for a smaller income tax.

Strongsville voters turned down a levy in 2024 and a building bond in May. If the new levy fails, the district plans up to $20 million in cuts over time, starting with 13 teaching jobs, WKYC reported.

Why are districts struggling?

Continue reading the article here.

Columbus City Schools is thinking about building its first new school in more than a decade. It's also looking for another $50 million to cut.

A district in that spot needs to squeeze every dollar out of construction.

As The Columbus Dispatch reported Sept. 26, the district is closing some aging schools, including Broadleigh and Moler elementary schools, and realigning Buckeye Middle School and the McGuffey site. A new West Broad Elementary could follow, but only if the district finds the money. District materials say the project would take about three years once funding is in place.

The money is tight. The board has already approved roughly $50 million in cuts and on Sept. 8 ordered a plan for at least $50 million more by Dec. 31, WSYX-TV (ABC 6) reported. Officials project a shortfall of roughly $109 million.

Permanent-improvement dollars paid for about $60 million in summer projects, from roofs to playgrounds, but they can't pay teachers. Still, every building dollar wasted can't fix another leaky roof or failing furnace. So how the district buys construction matters.

Some Ohio cities now require project labor agreements. Dayton requires them on city projects over $2 million, and Cleveland on most public projects of $500,000 or more. A PLA is a union labor deal signed before a job starts. Nonunion contractors can still bid, but they often must hire through union halls and pay into union benefit funds on top of their own. Many simply don't bid, and fewer bids usually means higher prices.

In 2017, the Beacon Hill Institute, a free-market research group, studied 88 Ohio schools built since 2000. It found the 15 built under PLAs cost about 13% more per square foot than similar schools without one. Other studies, mostly from states with far more union contractors than Ohio, found little or no difference. Even a small premium on a school project means less school for the same money.

Columbus can pay skilled workers well without a PLA.

If West Broad moves forward, the board should keep bidding open to every qualified contractor, union and nonunion alike. A district cutting $50 million can't afford to leave bidders off the list.

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