Cleveland schools propose uniform calendar, end of district-level extra minutes to help close large budget gap; public pushes back

Cleveland Metropolitan School District leaders presented a proposal at the board’s March 18 meeting to move most nontraditional schools to a traditional school calendar and to end centrally funded extra instructional minutes at certain schools as part of a districtwide “Building Brighter Futures” plan to address a large projected deficit.

CEO Warren Morgan told the board the district needs about $150 million to $160 million in savings over three years and that the calendar recommendation would save roughly $27 million of that amount over three years. Morgan said the district is recommending that 71 schools remain on a traditional calendar, that 21 schools on nontraditional calendars transition to a traditional calendar, and that all centrally administered extra minutes at 24 schools be ended (schools may still add time using school-level funds). Morgan described the proposal as part of a multi-year strategy to create “a pathway for sustainable student success” while addressing fiscal pressure.

The proposal was presented during a public hearing the board held as required by state law; the board will not vote on a final calendar until the April 29 business meeting. Morgan and board members repeatedly framed the calendar change as one of several measures to avoid a return to fiscal watch while allowing investments tied to the Building Brighter Futures facilities and program work.

Why it matters: Morgan said the…