During its first meeting of the year, Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education members elected member Kareem Moffett to serve as president in 2025.
Members voted 4-3 to elect Moffett to the role over fellow Board member Brandon Craig, whom member Ben Lindy nominated.
Voting for Moffett were Eve Bolton, Jim Crosset, Mary Wineberg, and Moffett; members Kendra Mapp, Lindy and Craig voted for Craig.
Bolton served as last year's Board president and was elected vice president in 2025.
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Moffett has served on CPS' Board since 2022 and has repeatedly stressed the importance of improving the district's transparency with families and the community.
Last year, the Board approved a sweeping restructuring plan to merge several elementary schools and create new middle schools to relieve overcrowding at a handful of high schools this coming fall.
Though many on the Board said the changes were necessary to ensure the district's financial future, others criticized the plan, saying the changes would not improve students' academic outcomes. Additionally, some in the community criticized the Board and administration for not seeking enough feedback on the plan before it was approved.
"I'm a firm practitioner of transparency, community engagement, and communication," Moffett said after being named president. "I pledge to keep our community and families informed of the progress and the great stuff that's going on in our district because we need you."
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The school board was also divided last year on the appointment of the district's new superintendent. In November — instead of moving forward with a search for a new leader and interviewing candidates — the Board elected interim Superintendent Shauna Murphy to the permanent position with an impromptu vote, a move some members strongly opposed.
Moffett says uniting the Board will be one of her goals for the new year.
"I think that we've got some awesome members with great diversity, and diversity of thought," she said. "I think it's time we, from a leadership standpoint, have some unity, have some ability to disagree, but also the welcomeness and the space to come together."
The school Board's next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 22.
