Cincinnati Public Schools superintendent Shauna Murphy delivered her State of the Schools address Tuesday night, highlighting the school district's accomplishments under her leadership.
Murphy was officially named superintendent in Nov. 2024, and she says that in less than a year, CPS has made progress despite some financial challenges and pressure from the federal government.
Over the summer, the Board of Education passed an operating budget that required the district to reduce its spending by millions due to a decrease in state funding and the end of federal pandemic relief funds. School leaders eliminated teaching positions across the school system, as well as several administrators and school maintenance jobs, to meet its budget.
Murphy acknowledged the funding challenges may not be over, as she anticipates a drop in federal funding next year and the potential loss of some local funds as county leaders consider property tax relief measures that could cause the district to lose $7.5 million.
The superintendent also recognized the efforts of members of the Board of Education and her administration in combating attempts by the Trump administration to pull federal education funding and pressure the district to end its DEI policies.
CPS sued the U.S. Department of Education in July after millions in education grants were withheld from school districts nationwide without notice. The lawsuit was later dropped after the funds were eventually dispersed. Additionally, CPS was sent a letter by the federal government requiring the district to drop its DEI policies or risk losing funding. While most schools in Ohio agreed to do so, CPS was one of the few that rejected the request, and so far, the district hasn't lost any of its federal dollars. Murphy says she was pleased by the way the school board responded.
"I took this document to the Board of Education and they told me, 'You're not going to sign that document,'" she said. "I can't tell you how proud that made me feel to be a part of a district that has not only an equity policy, but they stand on that equity policy and they mean business."
Murphy says the district is now looking toward its next phase of restructuring. This school year, CPS merged some of its elementary schools to make room for several new middle schools. In the next phase, Murphy says the focus will be on preparing students for in-demand careers and putting more resources into services for the district's growing immigrant population.
READ MORE:
