Parents, teachers speak out about cuts in proposed CMSD budget plan

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Emotions ran high at times during a Cleveland Metropolitan School District board meeting Tuesday night.

More than 100 parents, teachers and staff members filled the gymnasium at Whitney M. Young School on Harvard Avenue in Cleveland to hear the board’s deficit reduction plan.

CMSD CEO Dr. Warren Morgan says the district is facing a $168 million budget gap that must be closed.

A proposed plan must be submitted to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce by Feb. 29 or potentially face being placed on some level of fiscal oversight status by the state.

The proposed plan calls for cuts the following areas:

1. Central office staffing, travel, conferences and staff food
2. Summer learning but at a capacity level higher than in pre-pandemic years
3. Out of school time provided by external partners, but not including district athletics or other extracurricular programs
4. Aligning school calendars
5. Student technology

One mother addressing the board was extremely concerned about the impact of losing out of school programs and activities which she said have helped her children immensely.

“If you take these kids away, what’s going to happen? An increase in socialization’s going to go down, an increase in self-confidence is going to go down, the increase in grades are going to go down and then what happens?” she said.

“Ever since I first heard about this looming financial abyss, I’ve generated far more questions than answers,” said Shari Obrenski, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union.

Another issue of concern has to do with the CMSD Get More Opportunities Fund and program which was founded with a $20 million donation from billionaire Mackenzie Scott.

According to the district, the fund and program allowed more than 40 high school students to learn what it’s like to be a philanthropist and decide how the money should be used for things like college visits and arts programs.

To “empower and transform individuals,” said former CEO Eric Gordon at the time.

Now, that program and money is being shifted to help close the budget gap.

Although the board and CEO said it is a temporary move and that the program would be reinstated in the future, many people at the meeting and multiple members of Cleveland City Council disagree with the decision.

“Children want to know, are you going to fight for them? So when you take this money away from them, they turn around and say, ‘ain’t nothing true,’” said Councilman Kevin Conwell, Ward-9.

Despite the objections, the proposed plan passed 7 -1 with one member voting no specifically because of the Mackenzie Scott funds.

The CEO attempted to reassure the crowd and said the proposal was not an actual budget rather a plan for the state, and that he and the board would be carefully considering all of the points raised by parents and staff at the meeting.

“This plan is our plan to show how we will be in the black the next couple of years but this is not our budget,” said Dr. Morgan. “These are proposals and strategies of how we will get there, but there is still more work we have to do as a district.”