Outgoing Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon called on the Ohio Senate Tuesday to restore funding it had removed from the Senate's version of Ohio's biennial budget, meant to fund Say Yes Cleveland’s family support specialists for the next two years.
The House’s version of the state budget had put $9 million in place over the next two years - $4.5 million per year - to keep the family support specialist program going at Cleveland schools. The Senate removed most of that funding in its version of the budget bill, expected to be introduced Wednesday, leaving only $2.5 million coming from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, CMSD spokesperson Roseann Canfora said.
The family support specialist program, which places social workers in each CMSD school building, had cobbled together enough funding from local sources – about $4.5 million - to keep afloat this school year after its yearly funding was cut by Cuyahoga County last year. Cuyahoga County subsequently stepped back in under new Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne to provide $2.1 million last month.
The family support specialist program, which costs about $9.3 million per year, previously was funded almost entirely by Cuyahoga County and the school district. A major shortfall was created last year after the county cut the funding by about $4.5 million. The county said it was not getting reimbursed as promised with federal money from a program called Title IV-E, which is meant to keep young people out of the foster care system. The state had reportedly told the county that funding could not be used to fund the Say Yes program.
Gordon said during a Cleveland Board of Education meeting Tuesday that the $9 million that the House proposed would serve as a “bridge” to keep the family support specialist program going over the next two years, while a long-term solution is worked out between Say Yes Cleveland, the school district and the state for additional funding. Canfora and Say Yes officials have previously said they’re advocating for the ability to use the Title IV-E funds for the program, which they argue plays a strong role in keeping families together and children out of the foster care system.
Family support specialists help students and families find solutions to complex problems, from hunger to homelessness to accessing healthcare, and serve a major role in providing stability for students in one of the poorest cities in the country, advocates argue.
Gordon also called on the Senate to restore several other provisions that had been in the House's version of the budget but not included in the Senate's version, including supplemental targeted assistance, which is additional state funding for low-income and rural school districts. The Senate also removed updates to the state's Third Grade Reading Guarantee; the house version would have eliminated a requirement under that program to hold students back who don't meet third-grade reading standards, which Gordon says the district is in favor of, arguing it just serves to punish struggling students.
The Ohio House and Senate will need to reconcile their versions of the budget after the Senate votes to approve its own version, which could lead to funding being reinstated, a compromise, or the Senate's pared-down version becoming a reality."