Latest news with #CincinnatiPublicSchools
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Public Schools to cut vacant positions amid $50 million budget gap
Cincinnati Public Schools could see personnel cuts because of a $50 million budget gap for the upcoming school year. But on June 2, the Board of Education voted only to eliminate vacant positions. The board may still approve layoffs in the near future to address the budget gap. During its meeting June 2, the board approved the cuts in a 6-0 vote that included additional cost-cutting measures in the upcoming fiscal year. Board member Mary Wineberg was not present at the meeting and, therefore, didn't vote. The number of vacant positions and which ones will be cut was not specified at the meeting; however, officials said it is unlikely certain open jobs, such as science and math teachers, will be eliminated. The vote also excluded immediately cutting the roughly three vacant social worker positions in the district. Instead, the board will freeze hiring for these positions until the next board meeting in two weeks, during which board members will discuss whether it needs to eliminate these positions. Cincinnati Public Schools community members repeatedly pushed back on cutting social workers at recent board meetings. Parents and district employees emphasized the importance of social workers at the June 2 meeting. "Social workers identify students in crisis, connect families with vital services and ensure kids are seen and supported,' Sandra Horine, a school counselor for the district, said. 'Without school social workers," she continued, "we're asking students to focus on math and reading while their world feels like it's falling apart." The district could also see property sales. Board members gave approval to the administration to sell properties. One that's likely to sell is a set of tennis courts above Coy Field near the University of Cincinnati, said Daniel Hoying, an attorney for the district. The property is expected to bring in $500,000 or more, he said. The district did not discuss selling school buildings currently in use. The board previously approved cutting the district's contract with the Cincinnati Health Department to supply nurses, and could make other such cuts of third-party contracts. It's not clear which, however. The cost-saving measures are in response to an anticipated budget gap of roughly $51 million to $52 million between the current fiscal year and the upcoming one. The gap is due to the amount of money the district will likely receive from government funding, it said. The district's COVID-19 pandemic funds, which provided relief for kids struggling after the pandemic, have dried up and the Ohio legislature's draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year shows a drop in funding to public schools, the district said. A district spokesperson said the budget gap is not due to the district overspending. District officials are scrambling to finalize a balanced budget before the June 30 deadline. Some board members expressed concern that, even after the June 2 meeting, a clear way to a balanced budget before the deadline does not exist. Member Ben Lindy stressed protecting and improving the district's academics during the process. "The most cost-effective investment we can make is for us to fund training and support for teachers so that we help them implement the high-quality curricula we've already purchased," Lindy told The Enquirer. "This kind of investment is 40 times more cost-effective than class size reductions," he said, citing a statistic from the policy institute Center for American Progress. The board asked Cincinnati Public Schools administrators to identify how the district can help teachers better implement curricula. Board members also expressed hesitation in cutting social workers and paraprofessionals. Some members said doing so would go against the district's goals to improve academic outcomes and wellness for students. The board asked the administration to look into how cuts could be made that are in alignment with these goals. The next time the board will meet to discuss the district's budget is June 23. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools to cut vacant positions for budget gap
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Public Schools' board to discuss budget cuts amid $50 million budget gap
Cincinnati Public Schools will discuss budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year at a board of education meeting on the evening of June 2. The Board Business Meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Mary A. Ronan Education Center at 2651 Burnet Ave. According to the meeting agenda, the board will discuss the fiscal year 2026 budget and vote. However, which cuts the board will vote on is unclear. The school district said it anticipates a budget gap of more than $50 million between the current fiscal year and the upcoming one. This gap is due to the amount of money the district will likely receive from government funding in the upcoming year, it said. COVID-19 pandemic funds for the district have dried up and the Ohio legislature's draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year shows a drop in funding to public schools, the district said. A district spokesperson said the budget gap is not due to the district overspending. More: Olympian Mary Wineberg will not seek reelection to Cincinnati Public Schools' board At recent Cincinnati Public School board meetings, district parents and community members expressed concern about some of the suggested budget cuts. This includes a decrease in paraprofessionals at the district's Montessori schools and cuts to social workers. As part of the budget cuts, the board voted at the May 19 meeting to terminate the district's contract with the Cincinnati Health Department to supply school nurses. The district will instead hire health professionals as Cincinnati Public Schools employees. Cincinnati Public Schools' fiscal year begins July 1. However, the district's budget may be finalized after this date if the state budget, which gives funding to Ohio's public schools, is finalized close to its deadline. The state budget must be signed by Gov. Mike Dewine by June 30 so it can take effect on July 1. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools board to discuss budget cuts Monday
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cutting paraprofessionals will break CPS Montessori classrooms
Cincinnati Public Schools is unique for its awesome nine Montessori communities. The district is a leader nationwide and had the first free public Montessori elementary and high school in the country. CPS is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Montessori education. From the West Side to the East Side, Cincinnati's Montessori schools are thriving and full, with a ninth Montessori school to open in the fall of 2025 to fill the gap from the sudden closure of Xavier University's Montessori Lab School. Montessori schools are caring communities, promoting compassion, creativity, curiosity and hands-on learning. As a parent of two who are enrolled in a Montessori elementary school, I am so thankful we have such amazing, free Montessori programs in our city. More: Timeline of Montessori education in Cincinnati Recently, the district's superintendent and the treasurer presented proposed budget cuts to the school board, which included reducing classroom paraprofessionals in Montessori schools by half. Montessori classrooms are designed to encourage hands-on and independent learning. They run similar to an orchestra. The teacher is the conductor, the paraprofessional in the classroom is the concertmaster, supporting both students and the teacher, while the students are the musicians. Each role is important to creating the symphony of learning within a Montessori environment. One of the hallmarks of Montessori education is a multi-grade classroom. One adult cannot be expected to manage a community of learners in different grades who are sorting through different works (assignments) alone. Paraprofessionals are vital to kids in the classroom, especially supporting kids who may struggle or need to refocus. I love that my kids have a chance to have another caring adult in their lives. Not only is reducing paraprofessionals harmful to kids in the classroom, but it also goes against the board-approved Montessori curriculum, which has taken years to approve and officially adopt. More: Lemonade out of lemons: How Montessori parents opened a new school in 100 days Reducing paraprofessionals will also compromise the integrity and efficacy of Montessori learning in the district. This change would put the high schools at risk of losing their prestigious American Montessori accreditation, and the elementary schools would never be able to earn accreditation. Montessori without paraprofessionals does not work. We will cripple our healthy, thriving, full Montessori schools to get a dysfunctional Montessorta mess. Maria would not approve. Our superintendent and school board are facing an impossible task due to the cuts to education at the federal and state levels. These cuts are taking place as a result of our state leaders ignoring the bipartisan fair school funding formula and will cause CPS to lose $39 million (all to give the stinking Cleveland Browns $600 million for a stadium). More: Cincinnati Public Schools to lose city health department nurses. What to know I am calling all of our state senators on the finance committee to ask them to hold up their end of the bargain and uphold our state constitution. But now I'm imploring Superintendent Shauna Murphy and the CPS board, please do not take away caring adults from the classroom. This does not jibe with the #HereForKids promise. Let's play to our strengths and uphold the Cincinnati tradition of the nation's best public Montessori schools. Our kids are worth it. Sarah Beach is a proud parent of two Gamble Montessori Elementary students in Westwood. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's Montessori schools are strength worth defending | Opinion
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Public Schools to lose city health department nurses. What to know
Cincinnati Public Schools will terminate its contract with the Cincinnati Health Department to supply school nurses, a spokesperson for the district confirmed May 23. School health professionals will instead be hired as Cincinnati Public Schools employees. The change is a cost-saving measure for the district as COVID-19 pandemic funds dry up and Cincinnati Public Schools anticipates a budget deficit next school year. Cincinnati Public Schools did not immediately elaborate on the qualifications the incoming employees have or how the change will impact students. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools to lose city health department nurses
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Public Schools announces new Montessori school opening this fall
Cincinnati Public Schools is opening a new Montessori school in Madisonville this fall. The school will serve students in preschool through eighth grade at the Bramble Nature Campus on Homer Avenue. Across the district, which serves about 35,000 students, about 1 in 6 students are in a Montessori school. Bramble Montessori Lab School is opening largely because families from Xavier University's Montessori Lab School no longer want to stay there after school leaders decided to drop its Montessori programming. Xavier University announced in November that its Montessori Lab School would no longer follow the Montessori model, and instead transition to a traditional laboratory model starting in the fall of 2025. Some families from that school have been looking for a new home since, and found one with Cincinnati Public Schools. More: Cincinnati parents, teachers oppose district's proposed changes to Montessori learning 'We are thrilled to welcome these families into Cincinnati Public Schools,' Superintendent Shauna Murphy said in a Friday press release. 'Montessori education has been a cornerstone of CPS for 50 years, and this new pre-K-8 lab school at Bramble will ensure that students continue to thrive in an authentic, student-centered learning environment. This is a win for our students, families and the broader community.' Cincinnati Public Schools' Montessori legacy is longstanding, as the district is home to the nation's oldest public Montessori school − Sands Montessori − and is well known across the country for providing Montessori education to public school students. Montessori, a schooling style traditionally reserved for kids attending expensive private schools, encourages students of different ages to learn alongside one another and emphasizes community. It is an informal approach to education that focuses on hands-on projects and promotes child-led learning, according to the American Montessori Society. Students get to choose when to tackle different subjects throughout their day by working in groups, by themselves or by teaching each other. More: Cincinnati Public Schools adopts new Montessori curriculum 'Our goal has always been to create learning environments where every child has the opportunity to succeed,' Murphy said in a statement. 'We are excited to embark on this new chapter and look forward to building something truly special together.' The district will host an enrollment session on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Bramble Nature Campus, located at 4324 Homer Ave. Families can also enroll by calling the district's customer care team at 513-363-0123 or at the district's Education Center at 2652 Burnet Ave. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools to open new Montessori elementary school
