CLEVELAND — Just hours after the Board of Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District voted to pass its deficit reduction plan, District CEO Dr. Warren Morgan sat down for an exclusive interview with 3News' Danielle Wiggins.
Morgan talked about the financial challenges CMSD is facing, his own regrets, and the community outrage over the ending of a program funded by a $20 million donation to the district.
"The challenge is time, and February 29 is when we have to turn this plan in to the state," Morgan said of the reduction proposal. "And you know, hindsight is 20/20."
Causing particular backlash was the halting of the CMSD Get More Opportunities Fund, established following a gift from billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. With the district facing a projected $143 million budget deficit by the end of the 2024-25 school year, Morgan and others initially chose to end the program.
The fund helped pay for grants benefitting scholars and educators, with Cleveland students having a say in how the money was used. Following anger over its abrupt termination, Morgan admitted Tuesday he should have spoken to students involved before making the decision to end it.
"We looked at what we would do and we talked to the students, but it was after the resolution was done," Morgan explained. "And it was a question that I asked. I asked before, like 'Should we talk to the students and get their feedback?' But at the time, the thinking was, 'It's not at the Board level; what are we bringing to them?' and that's something that I wish we could of done differently."
The resolution Morgan referred to was the November proposal that allowed the district to use the Mackenzie Scott money to supplement their budget concerns, even though the money was always assigned to the district's general fund, according to Morgan. While there were no restrictions on how the money could be spent to begin with, Cleveland City Council took Morgan to task about the ending of the program, calling on him to return the dollars to the Get More Opportunities Fund.
"I just can't believe that we're here with our kids, and our kids are being penalized by taking the money that they had," Ward 5 Councilman Richard Starr said at a Monday meeting.
At that gathering, however, Morgan indicated the program might not be gone for good.
"When we made the decision about the pausing of the Get More Opportunities program, it was not saying that the program was going away," the CEO told legislators. "I think it's a fantastic opportunity for our students to have the right to actually help make some decisions on how we give out awards."
According to CMSD, $2.7 million of the Scott money has already been used for the CMSD Get More Opportunities Fund before it was paused. Asked Wednesday if the remaining $17.3 million could be transferred back to a "repurposed" form of the program, Morgan seemed optimistic, but would not give a definitive answer.
"So right now, we're looking into all the opportunities for that," he said. "I would just even say 100% likely, because it was always in the general fund even when we made the decision to pause the program."
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District later reached out to 3News clarifying that there has been no decision on the amount of money that will be put back into the revamped program.
You can watch the full interview, between Morgan and Wiggins, in the player below.
The two also discussed what's next for the district in terms of the budget, and the impact of negotiations with the Cleveland Teachers Union, as the current contract expires on June 30.
UPDATE: On Thursday, Morgan and the CMSD Board of Education released the following statement about the status of Get More Opportunities:
“In response to concerns from students, families, educators, and partners, we are 100 percent committed to relaunching the Get More Opportunities program.
"The District will preserve the intent of the MacKenzie Scott gift to both meet the current and future needs of the District and to provide the opportunity for student voice and choice, where all schools receive new and enriching experiences.
"The Board of Education, the CEO, the District’s senior leadership and our larger CMSD community learned a great deal from the Get More Opportunities pilot, including significant opportunities for improvement and equity in how funds are distributed. The Board of Education expects to review a new scope for the relaunch of the Get More Opportunities program before the end of the school year.”
Also on Thursday, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb reacted to the relaunch of CMSD's Get More Opportunities Program:
"My administration supports Dr. Morgan and the CMSD team as they make hard decisions to secure the district’s financial future. This includes CMSD's efforts to manage the budget in ways that advance the goals Dr. Morgan laid out in his State of the Schools address in November.
"Preserving the MacKenzie Scott grant to fund opportunities for students and evaluating the Get More Opportunities program to increase equity and student input demonstrates a strong commitment to listening and learning. I appreciate Dr. Morgan and the CMSD Board’s willingness to listen and respond to feedback from students, parents and stakeholders.
"Despite the headwinds we face, we are committed to making sure that students and educators have the resources they need and the support they deserve."