CMSD board adopts meeting schedule and goals process, amends forecast; later approves personnel terminations and suspensions

The Board of Education of the Cleveland Municipal School District adopted several governance and financial resolutions at its 2025 organization meeting and work session and, following an executive session, authorized multiple personnel actions.

The board voted, by roll call, to adopt Resolution 5.01 — a schedule of regular meetings and rules regarding notice for calendar year 2025 — and Resolution 5.02, approving a process and timeline for development and adoption of board goals and guardrails. Both resolutions passed by unanimous roll call (eight yes votes). The board also approved Resolution 6.01 amending the district’s general-fund five-year forecast to reflect a technical reclassification requested by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce related to new levy revenue tied to the passage of the district’s Issue 49 levy and bond issue; that amendment was presented as a technical change with no immediate fiscal impact and passed by roll call (eight yes votes).

Why it matters: The meeting-schedule resolution sets the cadence and public-notice rules for board work sessions and business meetings for 2025. The goals-and-guardrails timeline directs an accelerated community-engagement process: the Golden Guardrails committee recommended review of prior community input and a working retreat to develop draft goals for community feedback, with a target to adopt final goals and guardrails at the board business meeting on March 18, 2025.

Roll-call votes: Board clerk Mister Stockdale called the roll on multiple measures. The members recorded as voting yes on the formal roll-call matters were Miss Ellicott, Mister Billups, Mister Briggs, Miss Jones, Missus Lebron, Missus Peake, Doctor Sreedhar and Missus Welch. Several measures were approved by unanimous 8–0 roll calls.

Personnel actions: After a closed executive session the board returned to public session and approved six personnel resolutions: two separate resolutions authorizing the termination of non‑teaching employees for violation of district policies, and four separate resolutions authorizing one‑day unpaid suspensions of non‑teaching employees for violations of district policies. Each of these personnel actions was adopted by roll call with the same eight board members recorded as voting yes. The CEO described the personnel items as discipline and termination for violations of district policies; the transcript does not provide the employees’ names or further details.

Other items presented for discussion, to be acted on at the Jan. 28 business meeting: the CEO presented a slate of resolutions in finance, operations and equity and culture for future board votes. Highlights presented to the board (discussion only) included:

- Resolution 7.01: Acceptance of gifts and grants. The CEO listed proposals including a $750,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation; a $217,058 gift from the Cleveland School of the Arts Board of Trustees; about $207,866.71 from Cuyahoga County; a $10,000 gift from Families First Health Services LLC; gifts from the Stoneman Foundation ($6,500) and Step by Step Family Services ($10,000); $50,000 from the George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation; and $247,000 from the Chef Anne Foundation. The resolution would authorize the CEO to spend funds according to grant terms.

- Resolution 8.01: Operations. The CEO described a proposed purchase order to Collins Equipment Corporation for completion of an above-ground fueling site at the Lake Center Depot, in an amount not to exceed $240,000, to finish work begun at two district depots after earlier infrastructure work and inspection delays.

- Resolution 8.02: Transportation contracts. The CEO presented an amendment to earlier transportation contracts to authorize additional funds to pay community providers and contract operators after a driver shortage required outsourcing of routes. The numbers discussed in the meeting and transcript were fragmented and discussed at length by board members. Board members asked staff to clarify funding sources; the CEO and staff said the changes were not reflected in the current five-year forecast and would be shown in future forecasts and possible budget revisions. Transcript excerpts indicate previously authorized contract funding of roughly $9 million across services and a request to add multiple millions more (board discussion referenced additional amounts in the range of about $6.5 million, which would increase cumulative transportation contract authority toward approximately $15 million). Because the transcript contains inconsistent numeric phrasing, exact dollar-authority figures are not specified here and the board requested follow-up detail.

- Resolutions 9.01–9.05: Personnel and programs. The administration presented routine monthly personnel resolutions (authorizing new hires, reclassifications and separations) and a purchase order to Committee for Children to acquire digital licenses and materials for the Second Step social-emotional learning program for all district schools (the amount given in the presentation was $168,036).

Board questions focused on funding clarity for transportation and the relationship between long-term planning work supported by grants (including Cleveland Foundation support) and the board-led goals-and-guardrails process. The CEO said some long-term planning work will inform board recommendations and that certain grants will support studies and planning work for high school and enrollment modeling.

What the transcript does not include: The personnel resolutions do not identify affected employees by name in the public record excerpted here. Several dollar figures for transportation authorizations were discussed in imprecise terms in the transcript; board members asked staff to return with precise funding sources and clear totals at a later meeting.

The board set the next regular board business meeting for Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Warner Girls Leadership Academy.