A City Council Caucus is an informal gathering of Cleveland City Council members. Council members use the meeting to discuss and gain clarity on issues and processes and to hold political discussions. They do not vote on legislation in this meeting.

There will be no live stream link for this meeting as Council caucus meetings are held in person and are NOT broadcast by TV20 or live-streamed to council’s YouTube channel.

The agenda is limited. However, I have been told that today’s meeting concerns the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Attached below is the agenda. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The first speaker is CEO Warren Morgan. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The first speaker is CEO Warren Morgan. Warren is shown below. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Morgan explains CMSD’s goals which are improvement, empowerment, and success. Each is explained below. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Morgan says that not only have teachers and other support staff received a raise that is the highest to come in past recent years, but Administration did not experience their own raise. Allowing the “line to be held” on incurring additional costs. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Morgan explains that CMSD was tied with one other district for the Fastest Growing Urban District in Ohio on the 2023 Ohio Report Card. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland CEO Morgan hones in on the improvements of attendance within CMSD. One being that there has been a 2% increase in attendance from the previous year to now. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland CEO Morgan hones in on the improvements of attendance within CMSD. One being that there has been a 2% increase in attendance from the previous year to now. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The rate of absentee students has decreased by 5%. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Morgan presents a graph. This graph shows that the growth for CMSD in English and Math proficiency has increased by 3% since 2023. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The graph below shows the proficiency increases for most, but not all subgroups. All students- 3% Black- 2% Hispanic- 2% White- 3% Special Education- No Increase English Language Learners- 3%

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Below is the Five year forecast. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland As the conversation moves to the topic of the Tax Levy, I will share some background. Below is where the following information will come from. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-scho…

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is asking voters in November to back a new property tax, known as a levy. This is the second tax increase requested by the school district in four years.” #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Multiple members of Council share concern for this tax levy raising taxes for home owners. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “If passed, the new tax would last 10 years and would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 about $300 per year. That’s in addition to the taxes homeowners are already paying from the 2020 levy.” signalcleveland.org/cleveland-scho…

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “The district has said it’s running out of money, due in part to the loss of one-time federal money and in part to rising costs. The projected deficit has already pushed CEO Warren Morgan to pull funding for some out-of-school programs” signalcleveland.org/cleveland-scho…

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland CEO Warren Morgan has also cut more than 12% of positions in the central office. For now, the district has been able to balance its finances but still faces a $110 million shortfall in 2027. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-scho…

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Council Member McCormack shares concern for the last levy promising that another would not be proposed for 10 years, however, it has only been four years and another levy is on the table. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Council Member Starr expresses concern for the need of more funding while the school system is still not properly maintained. “A failing district, bad report cards, and regardless of what the test scores are said to report, the students still cannot read.”

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Couuncil Member Polensek expresses disdain for the way that the previous administration of CMSD has handled the district and the families of the district. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Polensek shares that many students leave the district to go to other schools just to have basic programs like cosmetology. Polensek says that this district is grossly mistreating black, brown, poor, special education, and otherwise disadvantaged students. #CLEDocumenters

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Polensek also says that by the way CMSD is running the system, it appears that they are intentionally trying to maintain poverty. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Polensek also says that by the way CMSD is running the system, it appears that they are intentionally trying to maintain poverty. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland A notable moment of Polensek's comments was the statement "If i had children today that were school age, I would not send them to a CMSD School. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Before discussing support or opposition in the proposed tax levy, Council Member Jones tells CEO Morgan that he is sorry that Morgan has inherited a school system with so many problems. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jones speaks about students who have expressed the feeling of not being safe after school. One of these students being a young man who travels with a gun to school. The student told Jones that the police nor school teachers will protect him from other peers.

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Towards the end of the previous video, Jones also says that it appears that the CMSD System is “fixed” to failed. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Council member Howse expresses the feeling of brown and black students being neglected by the State of Ohio. Howse refers to the way the State has handled the issues and situations of these students and families as being proven as “unconstitutional” for 27 years.

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Another member of Council states that students and families have been negatively impacted by school closures and boys and girls clubs being taken away. School closures was also a main point of discussion for Council Members Polensek and Jones. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Other members of Council share that although there has been an increase of very small numbers, it may not be merely enough to convince the public that anything has truly changed for the better within this school district. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland While it is not completely clear whether or not the full Council will support the levy, it will be further discussed by Council later on. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland This meeting adjourns. #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters. Or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com

@cledocumenters @signalcleveland As always, thank you for tuning in! Have a successful remainder of the week and see you next time! #CLEDocumenters @cledocumenters @signalcleveland