By Chardon Black

Amid major decisions being made by the CEO’s administration and the board regarding Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) finances for the upcoming school year and beyond, we at the Unsilenced Voices sat down with Chief Financial Officer Kevin Stockdale to get a stronger understanding of just what exactly is going on, without all the fancy language and charts.

We’ve paraphrased what Stockdale told us below, into language students can understand.

Can you provide some insight into how the budgeting process works for CMSD and how decisions are made regarding resource allocation?

CMSD’s budgeting process is primarily broken down into two parts: sourcing and allocation.

First, as for the sourcing. CMSD receives most of its money through property taxes, state aid, donations, and federal gifts (such as the pandemic relief funds provided during COVID-19). Some of these gifts have restrictions to them and can only be used for certain purposes. Others have no restrictions, such as the Mackenzie Scott gift, which was used to fund the Get More Opportunities program that the district ended. 

So you have the money, what next? 

As for the allocation of this money, it’s essentially determined by the priorities of the school district’s CEO, as well as the board of education. To accomplish certain strategic goals, such as increasing school attendance or improving test scores, the CEO and the board take suggestions from various stakeholders and community members and then decide where money will be spent.  

In addition, a large portion of the funding goes toward CMSD personnel. This includes teachers, principals, janitorial staff, security officers, paraprofessionals, and many more people who keep the district working.

Can you explain simply what a funding deficit means for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and how it affects students and teachers?

CMSD received “Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief,” or ESSER, program dollars during the pandemic. That money was meant to help the school district navigate the negative effects of the pandemic. However, after the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the federal government will not continue to provide this money. This means that, if plans are not made, CMSD will run out of its savings and the state of Ohio could step in and make spending decisions, including making cuts. That could mean that parents and various community members would have little to no say in Cleveland’s education. 

To avoid that, the district must make hard decisions on how to cut spending. Some examples include paying for the CMSD Summer Learning experience, which district officials said lacked the quantitative (hard) data to prove its effectiveness. In addition, funding for out-of-school programs that were started during the pandemic will also end. However, the district is actively working to provide what help it can to the nonprofits that run those programs to see if they can continue. The district also will keep its usual district-run after-school offerings, like band music, and sports.

How can students and the community support efforts to alleviate the funding deficit and improve funding for CMSD?

Student and family voices heavily guide CMSD and its mission. The district’s mission, goals, and principles are shaped by the values of those who live, learn, and grow under the district. Therefore, it's incredibly important that those two groups utilize public forums like emails, social media, and speaking at board meetings to highlight what they want to see prioritized. Public comment during those board meetings allows the public to speak directly to key people like CEO Warren Morgan and CFO Stockdale to understand what is non-negotiable when difficult cuts must be made. You can sign up to speak at those meetings by going to the board’s website.

In addition, data is a persuasive principle shaping community support for the district. Good ideas and the numbers to back it up are pivotal when it comes down to weighing what is needed and what might need to go. 

What role do state and local governments play in funding CMSD, and how does that impact the district's financial situation?

The district answers to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. It receives money from the state for each student attending school. The ODE is supposed to oversee the district to ensure good outcomes for students and stay financially healthy. But it also means, as mentioned before, that it can step in when it may appear that the district is facing difficulties it is having trouble solving. 

As for the city, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has oversight over the board and mayor, while the city council partners with the school district on special projects like athletics and health programs. In addition, the CEO of CMSD is selected by the Mayor, as well as CMSD’s Board members.

Finally, what message would you like to convey to students about the importance of understanding and being involved in the financial aspects of their school district?

Though the district has had deficits before, Chief Stockdale believes a deficit of this degree is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. CMSD is actively working toward creating a sustainable and effective budget to ensure something like this never happens again. By engaging with the board, school leaders, and district admins, CMSD is building the path to ensure its continued success. 

In addition, the district is committed to being transparent during this process, so that the public gets the information they need to succeed. 

Finally, there is much more work (and cuts) to be made to bring the district back to budget sustainability. 

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That’s all from CFO Kevin Stockdale. In closing, although officials have predicted the district’s financial troubles since at least 2021, it appears the district's financial issues have had an immense impact on the current and future landscape and performance of the district. 

However, the school district leaders say they are committed to navigating this storm, and coming out successful. For more information on the deficit and CMSD’s finances, check out their official budget reduction plan on their website.