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Cleveland school board adopts 5-year financial forecast, accepts state and DOE grant
Summary
The Cleveland school board voted unanimously to adopt a five‑year general fund forecast and to accept a grant from the State of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Energy; staff warned state formula changes could put parts of future funding “at risk.”
The Board of Education of the Cleveland Municipal School District on Tuesday adopted a five‑year general fund financial forecast and authorized the district to accept a grant from the State of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Energy, voting in favor during the board meeting.
The measures, presented together as resolutions 7.01 and 7.02, were approved after a staff presentation on the district’s revenue outlook and an update on the grants. "What is happening as a result of that is that for all of our districts, the amount of money that we will be receiving from the State is going to decrease," a district staff member said while describing the forecast and the parts of funding considered "at risk." The board voted yes on the motion in a roll call that recorded nine affirmative votes.
The presentation described the forecast methodology as conservative: it assumed no increases in input costs and projected state aid under current law and budget actions. The speaker said increases in local property values, declines in enrollment and changes to the state funding formula have already produced a category of "guaranteed" funding that could shrink under certain scenarios, and that the House-passed version of the state budget did not reduce the guarantee. The speaker noted the Senate budget would be released soon and called the projected figures "reasonable" while acknowledging uncertainty.
The grant acceptance resolution authorizes the CEO to spend grant funds "in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grants," language included in the motion. The board adopted both resolutions after a motion and second recorded on the agenda.
Board members did not amend the resolutions during the meeting. The board chair and the CEO indicated these items had been discussed at the May 13 work session; staff said the finance materials remain unchanged since that session.
The forecast and the accepted grant will be reflected in the district’s budget documents and five‑year planning materials going forward. The board will next meet for a work session on June 10 at Garrett Morgan High School.
