At Cleveland State of the Schools, levy takes a back seat
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A new Cleveland schools levy that would cost taxpayers $300 per $100,000 of their home's appraised value is on the ballot next month.
Yes, but: Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) CEO Warren Morgan barely mentioned it Tuesday in his second State of the Schools address at the Huntington Convention Center.
The intrigue: Nor did the levy come up in the audience Q&A portion of the address, long a hallmark of the City Club of Cleveland, which hosted the event.
- The City Club screened audience questions, and not one of the 10 that made the cut concerned the levy.
State of play: Morgan was eager to promote CMSD's latest accomplishment — meeting state standards on Ohio's annual report card for the first time.
- Cleveland scored highest among Ohio's eight urban school districts.
The other side: Morgan alluded to challenges from the previous year, including controversies surrounding the "Get More Opportunities" fund — sunset, then relaunched after criticism from students and families — and the construction of Marion Seltzer in Cudell.
Threat level: A $110 million budget shortfall looms.
- Morgan did not discuss the levy in detail but warned cuts would be "drastic and unimaginable" if the community does not come together to invest in the district's future.
- He previously said up to 700 teachers could be laid off if the levy fails.
What's next: Morgan articulated a vision of a "scaled up" district that moves away from the portfolio strategy envisioned in the Cleveland Plan and toward more conventional schools with enhanced academic and extracurricular experiences for all.
- It makes his heart ache, he said, that offerings like AP classes, football and cheerleading programs are only available at select schools.
The last word: "We have pockets of excellence," he said, "but not excellence at scale."