The Euclid Board of Education Approves Expansive District-Wide Cuts

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EUCLID, Ohio--In November 2018, the District asked the Euclid community to renew a 2008 emergency levy that would have maintained $5.6 million in the District’s operating budget. Since the initial passage of the levy in 2008, these funds have helped support the educational programs offered to students throughout the District, along with helping fund the daily operations of our buildings, grounds, and student transportation. The 2018 renewal levy would have produced the same amount of funds it did 10 years ago, $5.6 million; it would have cost taxpayers no additional money.  Nonetheless, the community voted not to approve the District’s request by a vote of 48.29% (8,335) to 51.71% (8,924), a difference of 589 votes.

Since the renewal was turned down in November, the District has been evaluating possible budget cuts across all departments and schools. The District’s administrative team has enacted a number of operational reductions already this school year, attempting to minimize the impact of the cuts on classroom instruction.  

However, given the magnitude of the levy failure, additional cuts have to be made.  Identifying these cuts has been a grueling process for the Board, our leadership team, and our employees, who are tasked every day with vital work on behalf of our students and families.  All of our staff and the programs they support are part of student success - from our teachers who provide instruction and mentoring to our children, to our cleaners who work to keep our buildings ready for each day, to our non-teaching and administrative staff who provide ongoing leadership and support.  We value all of you.

Despite that, because of the levy failure, tonight as a Board, we considered the reduction of employees, programs, and expenditures. This is one of the most challenging duties we have as Board members. 

It is important for the community to know these cuts would have been much deeper, but for the actions of our employees.  All of our employees have worked with the District in these impossible financial circumstances and agreed to a freeze in wages for the 2019-2020 school year.  The Board cannot say strongly enough how incredible it is to see “Our Euclid” coming together, yet again, in order to prevent further reductions in support of our children.  As a community, we must continue to rally together to support our students, just as our employees have always done and continue to do.  

Finally, given that these cuts are so expansive, below you will find a brief overview:

District-wide

  • We have realigned and reduced supplementals throughout the District by roughly a quarter million dollars, including after-school activities and athletics.
  • As a result of discussions between the Board and the employee groups, all Euclid Schools employee groups have agreed to accept a freeze in wages for the 2019-2020 school year.
    • This includes all bargaining and non-bargaining groups; the Euclid Association of School Administrators, Euclid Teachers Association, Euclid Classified Association, Euclid Schools Secretaries Union, Euclid Technical Employees Association, and Ohio Association of Public School Employees.
    • Memorandums of understanding have been ratified by all bargaining units and were approved by the Board.
  • Transportation services will be decreased to the state minimum.
    • Meaning that for the 2019-2020 school year, only students in grades one through eight who live more than two miles from their “home school,” meaning the Euclid City School District School they are assigned to, will receive transportation.
    • However, all preschool and Kindergarten students will continue to receive transportation.

Early Learning Village/ Elementary Schools

    • Reducing five teaching positions (two kindergarten positions, one fifth-grade at Bluestone, one first-grade at Shoreview, and one Elementary Instrumental Music).
    • Eliminating elementary instrumental music lessons during normal school hours.
    • Eliminating the following after-school programs: African American Achievement, Career Awareness, Student Council, among others.

Central Middle School

    • Reducing five teaching positions (Technology Coach, Math Enrichment, Fitness/Gym, Math Gifted, and Art)
    • Reducing athletics to one team per grade.
    • Eliminating the following after-school programs: Drill Team, Right Directions, Literary Magazine, African American Achievement Club (girls and boys), Student Council, and School Newspaper, among others.

Euclid High School

    • Reducing athletic programs to one eighth-grade team for each sport.
    • Eliminating the following athletic programs: tennis (girls and boys), golf, and eighth and ninth-grade cheerleading, among others.

Administration and Non-Teaching Employees

    • Reducing four and a half administrative positions, including three Elementary Deans of Students, the budgeted-for Assistant Treasurer role, and requiring our long-time Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds to move to a half-time supervisory position.
    • Reducing a Human Resources position and Technology Technician position.
    • Reducing two and a half buildings and grounds positions, and four cleaner positions.

These reductions will go into effect for the 2019-2020 school year.  

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Volume 10, Issue 5, Posted 10:36 AM, 05.05.2019