Social workers at Cincinnati Public Schools say a proposal to cut about a third of their positions would be detrimental to students.
The district's administration and the Board of Education currently are working to reduce the school system's budget for the upcoming academic year. The operating budget for CPS is smaller in the next fiscal year, by about $7 million. Last summer, the school system's operating budget totaled just over $634.6 million. This time, the district aims to whittle it down to $627.9 million.
During the Board's regular meeting Monday night, district officials presented board members with a list of potential staff cuts to help balance the district's budget.
Administrators recommended cutting two dozen social worker positions, 16 school counselors, nine resource coordinators and a handful of other full-time positions. Eliminating crossing guards from all district middle and high schools also was proposed.
The proposal prompted several CPS social workers to ask district leadership to seek cost-saving alternatives instead of eliminating jobs. During public comment, CPS Lead Social Worker Naomi Madaris told the Board that the mental health support social workers provide students is too valuable to cut.
"When these supports are cut, the needs do not disappear," Madaris said. "I urge you to reconsider these cuts. The long-term cost will far outweigh the short-term savings."
Several school Board members also pushed back on the suggestion to reduce the positions, but Superintendent Shauna Murphy responded by saying the district's rising costs and flat revenue left her administration with few options.
"I don't have a magic bullet," Murphy told the Board. "There is a dollar amount that I have to figure out how to get to. I know that people don't like it. I don't like it."
The Board of Education has not yet held a vote to approve the staff reductions. CPS plans to finalize its budget by June 22.
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