Covered by Documenters Tina Scott (notes), Marvetta Rutherford (live-tweet thread), and Alfreda Williams (notes)
12 o’clock rock
Residents may no longer have the option to just show up to speak at Cleveland school board meetings. They’ll have to sign up ahead of time — if board members approve new rules at their Oct. 24 meeting. Speakers would have to complete an online form by 12 p.m. on the day of board business meetings, which typically start at 6:30 p.m. They may also call the board’s office at 216-838-0030 to register, Board Chair Sara Elaqad said. The speaking time limits would remain the same: 40 minutes total for public comments and three minutes for each speaker.
On the agenda
The board discussed 10 other resolutions set for a vote later this month. One would let the district participate in a program to get its slice of property tax revenues from Cuyahoga County earlier than scheduled in 2024. It would receive two advances of about $20 million each, according to District CEO Warren Morgan II. Another resolution would put up to $1.6 million toward digitizing student records.
Fuzzy demographics
During a presentation about Riverside PreK-8 school, Principal Jessica Gamble said the school’s official racial and ethnic demographics — which show 52% of students identify as Caucasian — are a little skewed. Some races and ethnicities aren’t options on the demographic form, Gamble said, adding that many students who may otherwise identify as Arabic or Middle Eastern select Caucasian. Of the school’s 481 students, about 15% speak Arabic, according to Gamble. The school is in Ward 17 on the West Side.
Seat at the table
There is an open seat on the Board of Education. Lisa Thomas resigned from the board after 12 years, Elaqad announced. The term ends June 30, 2025. Check out the application.
