Cincinnati Public Schools will swear in its newest board member, Kendra Mapp, Monday night.
Mapp, elected in November, will replace former board member Carolyn Jones, who has served on the board since 2016 and chose not to pursue another term.
While being a board member presents a new challenge for her, Mapp says her experience as a Hughes High School graduate, parent, former educator, and school counselor has prepared her well for the road ahead.
"I bring all of these perspectives and vantage points to the role of being the board member, and those are things that I'm really proud about," she told WVXU.
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This year, the board is tasked with coming up with a new budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, but this time, Cincinnati Public Schools is set to lose tens of millions of dollars worth of COVID emergency relief funding. It had used that money to hire math and reading specialists, as well as fund after school programs and other student resources.
Since November, the district has looked to hosting community roundtables to gather input on what to keep and what to cut with the impending loss on the horizon.
Board members say some hard decisions will have to be made during the budget planning process, but Mapp is confident the board will find a solution that will work best for students.
"That is a very significant area of concern that so many people have shared their perspective about, and I think the district has been doing a good job of facilitating budget roundtable discussions," Mapp said. "While there may be polarities in how the money should be spent, if we can make sure we're working to have that alignment with that shared vision, we're able to work through those complexities."
Mapp says her vision for CPS aligns with the rest of the board, but she hopes to bring a new voice and perspective. As a former counselor, Mapp wants to make sure the district is putting adequate resources toward the mental health of students and staff. She says for the district to move in the right direction, the schools need to be a place where students feel safe and welcome.
Leading up to her first official meeting as a board member Monday, Mapp says her fellow board members — along with Superintendent Iranetta Wright and Treasurer Jennifer Wagner — have helped her get acclimated with her new position. For now, she's staying focused on taking care of herself so she can hit the ground running once she's sworn in.
"[I'm] just taking the time to just be present, take things day-by-day, get the rest that I need, spend time with family, and just do the things that are enjoyable as well so I can show up as my best self," Mapp said.
She will be sworn in at the district central office at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
