As summer continues, our school district is working behind the scenes to ensure we’re ready for a successful school year. At the July board meeting, our Board of Education approved a number of important items ranging from annual memberships and contracts to student opportunities and long-term planning.

Here are a few highlights and explanations from the meeting:

✅ Routine Approvals & Beginning-of-Year Business
Each July, the board takes care of routine business to gear up for the year. This includes: Membership renewals in state support organizations like OSSBA, OSAC, OPSRC, and OROS. Contracts for essential services including speech pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medical partnerships, and more. Facility and transportation use requests. MOUs (Memorandums of Understanding) and staff agreements for the year ahead. Approval of adjunct teaching assignments for the 2025-26 school year. Contracts approved for services like alarm monitoring, electric work, and janitorial supplies to keep our facilities safe and functional

📸 Welcoming Our District Photographer
We’re excited to partner with Hayden Glasgow as our official district-wide photographer for 2025-26!

👮‍♂️ School Resource Officer Partnership
We renewed our partnership with the City of Cleveland to provide a dedicated School Resource Officer—ensuring continued student safety and strong community ties.

🏛️ New Leadership on the Board
We thank Mr. Cole for his service and commitment to Cleveland students. Filling his shoes is no small task, but we’re excited to welcome Cullen McCowan to represent Ward 1. His passion for student opportunity makes him a strong addition to our leadership.

💰 Financial Picture
We reviewed our financial condition and carryover balances from last year:
General – $5,000,540
Building – $2,119,139
Child Nutrition – $400,603
Old Bond – $1,336,000 (final monies for lease payments)
New Bond – $846,450 (initial monies for projects)
Sinking – $1,576,665

We’re in a strong financial position, but there are real challenges ahead: Enrollment is at an all-time low, resulting in a projected $500,000 loss in state funding. Tiger Vision construction proceeds and bond project costs are heading in the wrong direction with the prediction of a volatile stock market. Traditional expenses currently exceed traditional revenue by about $400,000 (not counting grants). The good news? Because of smart budgeting and healthy reserves, we can address these issues without directly impacting classrooms.

🏗️ Other Noteworthy Approvals
Renewal of our sublease agreement with Cleveland Educational Facilities Authority (CEFA)—they help with independent auditing of our bond projects.

Approval of an updated school calendar for 2025-26 (yes—we’ll be in school on October 3rd).

Finalized the new Wireless Communication Policy that will be included in next year’s student handbooks.

🪑 Tiger Vision Update
We’ve temporarily slowed the rollout of new student furniture at the MS/HS level. The delay will allow us to: Make thoughtful decisions, and shift some costs to the general budget to preserve bond funds. The new goal is to have the majority of classrooms updated by Fall Break.

📚 District Programs & News Shared with the Board
In addition to action items, the Board also received updates about:
New educational choices for families
Exciting family engagement plans for the 2025-26 year
Over $100,000 in new STEM supplies awarded to our MS/HS—making Cleveland THE top STEM option in our area
Staffing updates (40% less turnover than last year!)

💸 Major Spending Highlights
The board reviewed and approved larger purchase orders and service agreements, including:

Time management software ($25,939)
Occupational & speech therapy services ($99,000 total)
Student technology like Chromebooks and software ($150,000+)
Student nutrition (milk, meals, and snacks for first semester—$160,000+)
Utilities, insurance, and internet ($800,000+ combined)
And much more to keep our district running smoothly!

👋 Final Thoughts
We know board minutes and budget lists can feel overwhelming. But transparency and community trust matter—and we’re proud to keep our school family informed.

If you have questions about anything listed here or want more detail, please reach out. We’d love to help you better understand where we’re headed!

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