The campaign for the upcoming Cleveland Metropolitan School District levy launched its website yesterday. 

“I’ve seen how the district runs when it doesn’t have money, and I’ve seen how it runs when we’ve had money, and things run a lot better when you can fund the classrooms properly,” said Kurt Richards, a local teacher and union vice president who is managing the campaign for Citizens For Our Children’s Future. Citizens For Our Children’s Future is a political action committee responsible for the levy campaign.

“Every levy is crucial, otherwise it wouldn’t be on the ballot,” Richards said.

This November, voters will choose whether or not to approve the 8.6 mill, 10-year levy increase as well as a 35-year extension on a 2.65 mill bond issue. The bond extension would not increase existing property taxes. On the other hand, the levy increase would cost the owner of a median-value Cleveland home an additional $3.73 per week, according to the website. The district used a median Cleveland home value of $64,400 to calculate that cost.

Because the levy was certified before Cuyahoga County released its new, broadly higher property valuations earlier this week, if it passes, homeowners would be taxed based on their previous home valuations, Richards said. 

“A levy gets certified on what it’s going to raise, and it can’t raise a nickel more,” he said.

How would the Cleveland Metropolitan School District spend funds raised by levy?

The $52 million annually raised by the levy increase would be used to “support quality schools and programs,” according to the website. Money raised by extending the bond issue would support facility improvements, renovations and “right-sizing” schools in the district.

Signal Cleveland asked the district to explain what it meant by the terms “right-size,” “shrink our footprint” and “consolidate under-capacity schools” as used on the website’s “About” page to describe how bond issue funds would be used. 

“Terms like ‘right-size’ and ‘shrink our footprint’ mean ensuring each school operates efficiently with adequate resources,” Chief External Affairs Officer Lisa Farmer-Cole wrote in a statement. “It’s about optimizing our infrastructure to better meet the needs of students and staff. 

“Consolidating under-capacity schools involves strategic adjustments to improve resource allocation and educational quality. It’s about maximizing efficiency to enhance the overall educational experience.”

Greater Cleveland Partnership supports the levy

Although the campaign won’t ramp up until later this year, the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) has already announced its support for the school levy. A press release announcing GCP’s endorsement praised the district for raising graduation rates from 56% in 2011 to a high of 81% before the pandemic. The district currently has a graduation rate of about 74%.  

“Investing in education is essential to the region’s economic development and growth,” said Baiju Shah, the president and CEO of GCP, in the press release. “Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, team members, and entrepreneurs.”

GCP has a history of supporting CMSD. The organization worked closely with the district on The Cleveland Plan, the public-private partnership that has helped guide education reform in the city. 

GCP’s announcement also highlighted the district’s need for the new cash flow to fill a budget deficit created in part by expiring federal aid. That deficit has already pushed CEO Warren Morgan to pull funding for some out-of-school programs and cut more than 12.6% of positions in the central office. For now, the district has been able to balance its finances but faces a $110 million shortfall in 2027.

Editors note: This story was updated to identify Kurt Richards as the head of Citizens For Our Children’s Future.