Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Warren Morgan Tuesday hosted a press conference on preparations by the district to reduce operating costs while building a path to improve academic quality.
Morgan noted the district will need to cut almost $160 million over the next two years, with its own economic forecast showing it's almost $96 million in the hole at the end of the 2027-2028 school year. Morgan said cuts to CMSD's funding in Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed state budget alone accounts for a lost of about $10 million. The district would face a more significant challenge if there are federal funding cuts for low-income students and students with disabilities.
Morgan said the administration will be introducing a recommendation Tuesday night to the CMSD Board of Education to cut extra school days at 24 schools that have extended-year calendars. It would also trim the extra 30 minutes per day in instruction at those schools. Morgan said that could save the district $9.3 million annually. Cutting only the extra days would save the district about $5 million annually.
"Our finances are calling us to look at things like that," Morgan said," And not only that, but we have a lot more to do."
Morgan also announced the launch of a new long-term plan for the district's facilities called "Building Brighter Futures" to guide reductions to the budget and investments in academics. The presentation Morgan gave did not explain how the plan would reduce the budget or how it would fund the investments. It did address discrepancies the district has identified including access to certain classes, extracurricular opportunities and new facilities the vary widely across different schools.
Morgan did not directly say the district will be closing schools, but he did note that many school buildings have low enrollment.
"It's not just about what is being taken away with the buildings," Morgan said. "Kids get so much more with 'Building Brighter Futures.'"
He said the plan calls for the following:
- Creating opportunities in every K-8 building for students to obtain high-school credits, specifically mentioning foreign language classes and Algebra 1
- Computer science classes "for all"
- Increasing art, music and athletics programs in all schools
- Increased opportunities to get involved with the trades and internships
- "High quality curriculum" for English and math classes with a universal English curriculum in place for the 2024-25 school year and a universal math curriculum in the works for next school year
Ultimately, the plan will be presented to the board of education for approval, after a series of public meetings in April to gather input, Morgan said.
Morgan announced other concrete steps to cut expenses including reviewing any out-of-state travel plans, prohibiting the use of the general fund for food purchases for "central office" employees, calling on administrators to come up with cuts for non-staff expenses and examining "property leases for reduction or elimination," including the district's downtown central office.
The district's lease for the central office, which runs through July 2028, shows it's paying $2.2 million on rent along with parking spaces at a nearby garage during the 2024-25 school year.
