CLEVELAND SCHOOLS SHORTFALL IS $100 MILLION: Channel 5 had "exclusive tape" last night of Barbara Byrd-Bennett choking back tears as she told a School Board meeting about a letter from the Governor announcing more state funding cuts. The Plain Dealer has a less theatrical account of the situation this morning.

For actual information about the School District's finances, see this article in the January Catalyst for Cleveland Schools, which provided some line-by-line background to Byrd-Bennett's November "State of the Schools" speech. And while you're there, read Charlise Lyle's companion editorial, which began:

If the business and political leaders of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County had their priorities straight, Cleveland voters would soon be casting ballots on a much needed school operating levy. Instead, when they go to the polls March 2, they likely will vote only in the primary elections.

And Cleveland's school children likely will pay the price next school year through deep cuts in school staffs, textbooks and transportation.

Civic leaders have known for some time that Cleveland schools are due for an increase in the operating levy; it's been seven years since one appeared on the ballot. They also know that the schools desperately need the money.

This year, the district is operating on a no-growth budget even though costs have risen. And recently, schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett made clear that still more budget cuts are on the way. Yet our civic leaders have spent all their time trying to ramp up for ballot requests to finance other projects that, ultimately, failed to win the public's support.

Uh-huh.

The proposed cuts described in today's PD article are just the beginning. Reportedly the district, which must approve the 2004-2005 budget by June 15, will lay off up to 1,400 workers including hundreds of classroom teachers. Then we'll have a levy on the November ballot, which has been floated as 10 to 15 mills (but would have to be more to reverse all these layoffs and program cuts). 15 mills is close to $30 a month for the owner of a $75,000 home.

Who's in charge of this slow-motion train wreck? Byrd-Bennett is cast as the protagonist, but she's ultimately just a $300,000-a-year hired hand. The School Board has to pass the budget and authorize the levy, but they're an obscure, unelected sounding board for the CEO. The only elected official responsible to the voters for the affairs of the School District is... Mayor Jane Campbell, who appointed them all.

Yup... we're about to see how Mayoral Control works when the shit hits the fan. Would an independent, elected School Board have allowed the rest of our "civic leadership" to put off the levy this long? Will this unknown, unelected Board have any credibility with the public when it counts -- either in explaining major program cuts or asking for a big tax hike? Or will this all come down to the shredded coattails of the Mayor, whose career would be ended by a loss, but not necessarily ensured by a win?

All this and the Presidential election, too. It's gonna be quite a Summer.

AND SPEAKING OF THE CLEVELAND SCHOOLS... Here's a little peek at someone doing it right, from MB Matthews.