Cleveland board moves one special-education position into general budget

The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to add one special-education teacher position to the district general budget for the 2025-26 school year, moving that position out of the federal IDEA allocation.

Director of schools Dr. Elliott told the board the request responds to a tightening of IDEA (federal special-education) funds and increased needs among older students; he said the district hopes to keep the change budget-neutral but may need adjustments if final reports show a shortfall. "This is a full-time person in its entirety with the benefits that go with that," he said during the discussion.

Board members asked whether the increase in high-school special-education students or the rise in service needs was driving the request. Dr. Elliott said the district has seen some growth and increased high-need services and that federal reports arrived later than expected in recent years, complicating planning. He described options for potential future budget amendments, including adjustments to professional-development lines.

A motion to approve the request was placed on the floor and received a second; the roll call recorded the following votes in favor: Renee Diamond, Matt Coleman, Carolyn Ingram, Andy Legg, Peggy Pesterfield, Jody Riggins and Nate Tucker. The motion passed.

Board members and staff said they will continue to monitor federal funding and bring any needed amendments back to the board during budget preparation.

The action was procedural (budget reallocation) rather than a change in special-education services or staffing levels beyond the formal transfer of budget responsibility.