| The Cleveland Board of Education approved a new | | | | Cleveland Schools could lose as much as $6 million in |
| budget with millions of dollars in cuts. The cuts are so | | | | Medicaid monies which are used to provide speech, |
| drastic that there are some employees of the | | | | hearing and occupational therapists for needy students. |
| Cleveland Schools who don't know if they have jobs | | | | Another $6 million in general funds from the revised |
| next school year. Some non-instructional union | | | | state budget will also be lost to Cleveland Schools. |
| employees, such as cleaners, custodians and clerical | | | | The state Senate changed its proposed two-year |
| workers, will most definitely see job cuts. Other | | | | education budget in May. Cleveland Schools would |
| non-union jobs are also at risk. | | | | have received a half-percent increase in state aid in |
| Chief of Staff, Lisa Marie Ruda, said specific numbers | | | | 2006 and 1.2 percent more in 2007 under the originally |
| won't be known until early next week, when district | | | | proposed budget. However the revised plan that Gov. |
| officials finish adding up positions already lost to | | | | Taft must approve does not provide any increases for |
| retirement or attrition. In the recent weeks, over 500 | | | | Cleveland Schools at all. |
| teachers and paraprofessional educators throughout | | | | There are two sets of employee groups within the |
| Cleveland Schools have received layoff notices; some | | | | Cleveland Schools who will be saved from layoffs. |
| effective immediately and others in the fall. These | | | | Bus drivers, who had about 130 lay-offs last winter, will |
| recent cuts are reflective of $35.4 million in salaries | | | | be among those. Also the Cleveland Schools will not |
| and benefits from last school year. Last month the | | | | cut security officers because they are needed to |
| Cleveland Schools voted to close 22 schools in order | | | | keep students in the high schools safe and secure. |
| to save money. Over the past three years there have | | | | The bus system itself is being looked at carefully. An |
| been over $100 million in cuts. And on August 2nd | | | | outside company hired by Cleveland Schools, |
| voters will be asked to approve a tax increase that | | | | TransPar Group, will be looking into the district's |
| could raise an additional $48 million for the Cleveland | | | | transportation program. This is a move to privatize the |
| Schools. | | | | management of this department after it was involved |
| The Cleveland Schools CEO, Barbara | | | | in a number of complaints and scandals. |
| Byrd-Bennett,blamed the slashes on the state cuts. | | | | |