Dec. 13 – Board of Education Business Meeting, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Covered by Documenters Kellie Morris and Nicholas Ventura

Famika Bonner, who works at Marion C. Seltzer School and is a CMSD parent, addresses the board about school security. (Credit: Cleveland Metropolitan School District YouTube / Org: Cleveland Metropolitan School District).
Famika Bonner, who works at Marion C. Seltzer School and is a CMSD parent, addresses the board about school security. (Credit: Cleveland Metropolitan School District YouTube / Org: Cleveland Metropolitan School District).

What happened: Five speakers – including parents and employees – addressed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Board of Education. Topics included school security and the $20 million donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Famika Bonner said CMSD needs to assign a full-time security officer to Marion C. Seltzer School, where Bonner works. Don Freeman asked CEO Eric Gordon if the district is capable of filling 63 vacant security positions by February 2023. Gordon said no.

Deadline for selecting high schools: Gordon announced that the district is encouraging eighth-graders and their families to select high schools by Jan. 15, 2023. Learn more at CMSD’s school choice portal.

And also: The board approved the hiring of 41 employees, including teachers, substitute teachers, and paraprofessionals, who support teachers and students.

You can also read Documenter Nicholas Ventura’s live Tweet from the meeting:

Get a history lesson on CMSD’s mayoral-appointed school board with this timeline from Signal Cleveland’s Paul Rochford.

Cleveland Documenters pays and trains people to cover public meetings where government officials discuss important issues and decide how to spend taxpayer money.