CPS faces $35.5M gap in draft FY2026 budget; administration outlines cuts, task force work

Cincinnati Public Schools officials told trustees May 5 they are narrowing a multi‑million‑dollar fiscal 2026 shortfall but that additional reductions remain necessary before the board adopts a balanced budget.

The district’s baseline target for the general fund is about $624 million. Administration said it has identified $10 million in “known underspends,” realized about $13.7 million from initial budget‑reduction work and is analyzing roughly $51.5 million in additional potential savings from a brainstormed “list of 100” ideas. After reconciling those items, Guston and Superintendent Murphy said the draft gap currently stands at roughly $35.5 million; that figure will be updated as the board and administration complete further reductions and confirm final state funding figures.

To tackle the gap the district has convened a budget task force that is reviewing central‑office reorganizations, potential retire‑rehire approaches, school staffing allocations, Title funding uses and vendor contracts. Murphy said the administration is aiming for deeper contract reductions (about 20% in many smaller vendor lines) and is revisiting whether consolidated or shared administrative roles could reduce long‑term costs.

Board members pressed for numbers and timelines. Several trustees urged the administration to bring a concrete budget proposal to the board well before the June vote so members could review line items rather than rely on a 90‑day appropriation. Board member Craig warned against overloading central office by continuing to shift savings expectations there; Lindy and others asked for the administration to identify which core instructional and compliance items must be preserved.

A separate personnel disagreement arose during the consent agenda when trustees debated whether to approve two administrative promotions scheduled to begin in August. Some trustees said promotions should be paused until the budget is finalized; administrators said the changes consolidate multiple roles and would produce net savings versus the current four separate allocations. The board approved the consent agenda with recorded abstentions and reserved additional scrutiny for specific personnel items.

Why this matters: The district must balance state and local revenue with contractual obligations, staffing and federally‑restricted program funding. Trustees and staff are working against the May/June timetable for the five‑year forecast and the fiscal 2026 appropriation.

What’s next: Administration will present updated revenue figures and a revised budget proposal at meetings in May and will return with a recommended balanced spending plan before the board’s June budget vote.