[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6353431,"mediaKeyId","2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9","parentId",2221301,"title","Board weighs budgeting models, staffing formulas and class-size tradeoffs as treasurer models costs","audioSeconds",1277,"startMs",5781000,"endMs",7058000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9&start=5781&end=7058","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9/thumbnail_5781000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6353431/Ohio/Board-weighs-budgeting-models-staffing-formulas-and-class-size-tradeoffs-as-treasurer-models-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6353431-6bb912141c19861f1121256636dd9239/orig.mp4?Expires=1770615730&Signature=KvpurFXGafD7~xw69rHqM0Ed2cf0xTKlf7~iTx~692jHNw7iuTZc~SpCGDder7B-5Fu7IP77QBB0i7KvzR5VTxHrFpqvfAlNWaPOKdE3haA6aTkoHMgnDtvsI02QTqGAl3n6F3OIj1mplX5Wud5SHv2oI8bEcwTiPZHIVKLvQFmJ7GbgiG8o2t3RqO-xtUO-V8LnK-bQnMkh8bqa13mnWTM5OHaNUPTzXAZk~f32C3lguic1arrNgQGFCtpsWi-aT1AQOrt5ye-MBHUtB9ydgWm6ygt7JfauQdeLWdlz4csAMpRBibXZwCp1KfEatttHBj8hTaY8SN~daC2HYALIrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cincinatti Public Schools","date","2025-02-02T07:45:58Z","article","Treasurer Jen Wagner and Superintendent Keisha Murphy led a discussion of budgeting models, staffing formulas and the tradeoffs of smaller class sizes on Feb. 1, laying out options for the board as it prepares next year's budget.

Wagner explained the difference between incremental budgeting (adjust the prior year's budget upward) and 0-based budgeting (start from zero and justify every line item). \"Incremental budgeting, the budget grows so fast because you never stopped doing anything you did,\" Wagner said, arguing that 0-based budgeting is labor-intensive but could improve prioritization.

The treasurer also described the district's current \"student-based staffing\" approach, where projected enrollment and student condition weightings generate staffing formulas (for example, class size loadings and specialist allocations), and contrasted that with more strictly student-based school budgets used elsewhere. Wagner said some school staffing increments (class-size minimums, certain special education formulas) are shaped by collective bargaining agreement provisions, while other formulas (for example, assistant-principal allocations) are district practice rather than contractual mandates.

Wagner presented a staffing simulation: using a model with smaller class sizes (K–3 at 20:1, grades 4–6 at 28:1, grades 7–12 at 30:1) would increase staffing costs by about $4.9 million compared with the January staffing run. She noted that smaller classes increase the number of certified teachers needed while reducing some paraprofessional (para) overload costs; the district currently budgets roughly $4.7 million for overload paras and about $2.1 million for overload pay. \"Smaller class sizes means more people,\" Wagner said.

Board members probed operational impacts: fewer paras can affect lunch and recess coverage, bus supervision, and other non-instructional duties often handled by paras; members noted that Montessori classrooms commonly require dedicated paras, which could affect cost offsets. Several members also cautioned that recruitment realities limit the district's ability to fill new certified positions immediately; the board and administration agreed that filling current vacancies and labor-market constraints are a practical limit on how quickly class-size reductions could be implemented.

Members asked for more granular data: current para vacancy rates, the distribution of paras across buildings, specific recruitment strategies and the operational consequences of shifting funding from paras to certified teachers. Administration and the treasurer agreed to return with more detailed vacancy and cost analyses to inform the board's budgeting choices.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPS Board Work Session February 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Treasurer Jen Wagner reviewed 0-based vs incremental budgeting, student-based vs staff-based allocation, and staffing formulas; a scenario with smaller class sizes was estimated to cost roughly $4.9–5.0 million in additional staffing.","taxTitle","Cincinnati Public Schools, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",13483,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6353435,"Treasurer outlines levy options and capital plan as board weighs new money and timing",1776,2924000,4700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9&start=2924&end=4700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9/thumbnail_2924000.jpg","/articles/6353435/Ohio/Treasurer-outlines-levy-options-and-capital-plan-as-board-weighs-new-money-and-timing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6353435-5d1bc56b0150c6384118d8f700052c64/orig.mp4?Expires=1770615730&Signature=FSkPAML-d6S4WbkMl3gg3iSX-bR6GpfQKRinzTVo45MSGcoQQp0arzxKI5yZ4llx7A4YTYilQTuCfd2DeCj~3VOJz36mrCSHhnM7~qThxbXtGaUHDIUgIwuAbpEMthJpbtIct~dD7XmSBW~rQ95GY4jYOBEUOLWuXr-GumMuv-5vTUbEaTd01hhvppjcTkC4XMIzJ5tZsFVrbZ-8dT-6-03bd3lso~eRxPvr5AGjfU9of8CyL9lzx7POAGXXdZVUUjWvLLAVEtlhNiGkH-kFCXx2sS0FjnkreraQQzKYSZW1JiMnbduvUGPGz9TPUAcRdsP~mjAYvIBw6LOuoKkD0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Treasurer Jen Wagner reviewed the district's growth and capital plan during the Feb. 1 board meeting, presenting Phase 1 actuals, Phase 2 net impacts and a longer-term levy and debt schedule that will shape decisions about operating and construction funding.

Wagner told the board Phase 1 repurposing and reassignments (Riverview repurposing, Mount Washington expansion to PK–8, combining Owens and Promise Center, and creating Schroeder junior high and other moves) had an aggregated documented cost of about $1,300,000. She said the largest single component of the Phase 1 figure was staff costs because the district committed to keep staff in place during the transitions.

Phase 2 had been projected earlier to produce a $1.4 million net savings if implemented as originally proposed; after board votes and modifications the treasurer said that estimated savings fell to about $350,000 and noted that appeals or further adjustments could change that figure. Wagner said transportation changes, including a single start time for SCPA, account for roughly $1 million in anticipated savings under earlier assumptions.

Wagner walked members through a multi-year set of capital and operating questions. The district's current $48 million renewal levy (the board referred to the levy that funds a $15 million set-aside for preschool expansion) expires and the board must decide whether to renew, combine needs into a new levy, or seek separate levies. \"One mill right now is generating about $8,800,000 in property revenue,\" Wagner said during the presentation, explaining how millage translates to revenue and how levy structure choices interact with Ohio's 20-mill floor rules.

Wagner explained options: renew the current $48 million operating levy (with its preschool set-aside), allow it to expire and propose a new fixed-sum operational levy that could include new money, or pursue a permanent improvement (PI) levy or bond for facility repairs. She said the district's facility-repair estimate for repairs presented earlier was about $170 million over five years and that the seven Phase 3 construction projects were estimated at roughly $200 million in construction costs. For very large construction borrowing, Wagner said borrowing costs could make a bond levy more efficient; she estimated a $200 million bond could require roughly 3 mills for the borrowing service rather than a simple per-year calculation.

Wagner reviewed the debt summary and capacity: the only current voted levy backing bonds showed a principal balance of approximately $173 million as of July 1, 2025, and the district's additional debt capacity was limited (she cited roughly $9 million of capacity). Board members heard that upcoming timeline windows for levies include the November 2025 renewal, a 2028 renewal ($65 million referenced) and a 2032 renewal ($52 million referenced), and that overlapping levies carries political and fiscal risk.

Board members asked about sequencing and whether the district should pursue operational money first and a facility-focused levy later. Several members, including Board member Craig and Vice President Bolton, favored an approach that prioritized an operational levy in 2025 and a dedicated PI or bond conversation in 2026 to avoid putting two large levies on the same ballot year. Wagner and board members also discussed levy design (fixed-sum vs. fixed-rate) and noted that a fixed-sum levy can avoid negative interactions with the 20-mill floor and preserve tax advantages created under Ohio law.

The treasurer and administration said they would convene further meetings with the district's financial adviser and other staff to prepare detailed dollar-and-millage proposals for subsequent board review; no final levy decisions were taken on Feb. 1.","Treasurer Jen Wagner presented Phase 1 costs, Phase 2 savings and a multi-year capital and levy timeline; board discussed renewing a $48 million levy, options to seek new money, the permanent-improvement vs. operational levy choices and facility needs through 2032.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6353440,"Board seeks clarity after Taft Elementary Montessori decision; questions about student displacement and transportation",532,3438000,3970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9&start=3438&end=3970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9/thumbnail_3438000.jpg","/articles/6353440/Ohio/Board-seeks-clarity-after-Taft-Elementary-Montessori-decision-questions-about-student-displacement-and-transportation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6353440-779e68a5069e9b4f2f62de28f2d1e98b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770615730&Signature=fQ5O3c2Ym9rbLRcjHu7uRc4s6Gg6nWKZ3FmepqoNSGChGjQj66AEl2OoITpyMnHKLl8YqIIXcXMbkyNLP~3SDjZT1CRAyavpSfdfemQOLQXFqHUMa1~LJiZBVrGn56NHqrN8vTVjSV0rBl4nya5FRdJlnUephIssUojrOIClNCZFcEy97f6agBDi7cA2pdk~cZNchthaIEX6SGnwzxehojhmChzXWMTYhhxtkr4znsKpuBNpy5be-Hhib-yR3F6EmvtQVz3HrrXakfW8ge3a~~jSYIlCXzSSzoUjXgaVFqVjsrQPaeok41ksvBxROwubRijHMvs1rz6oSB~q0jOcvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members at the Feb. 1 Cincinnati Public Schools meeting pressed administrators for clarity on how a proposed Montessori start at Taft Elementary would affect current students and transportation after the board's December actions.

The discussion began when a board member said she did not recall a definitive decision to convert Taft into a Montessori K–6 school and asked where the roughly 200 students at the school would be assigned. Several members said the December bundle left details unresolved.

Board member Weinberg said she did not believe the board had settled how students would be reassigned, arguing that simply telling families they could go \"wherever they wanted to go\" was insufficient. \"So where are those students going to go? We've never really finished that conversation definitively that I heard,\" Weinberg said.

Superintendent Keisha Murphy replied that, following the December meeting, the board's action did not force current students to leave. \"All of the students who are at Taft right now, pre k through 5, will be able to remain at Taft pre k to 5,\" Murphy said, adding that the Montessori startup would begin with preschool rather than converting all grades at once. She described a multi-year transition that could span roughly six to seven years to fully matriculate new Montessori cohorts while grandfathering existing students.

Murphy and board members also clarified other elements tied to the December bundle: the school's magnet status would be removed (which removes the district-funded transportation entitlement), preschool from Vine would move to Taft to preserve programmatic capacity, and the district had discussed grandfathering arrangements and limited transitional transportation in the short term.

Board members raised concerns about where students who currently ride district transportation to Taft would be assigned if they did not choose to stay, and whether neighborhoods that would receive those students would be able to absorb enrollment changes. Murphy said the district can determine neighborhood assignments by address and provide that information, but she also acknowledged additional family engagement and detailed transition planning would be required.

Members requested more specific data and family outreach results, including enrollment by feeder area, how many families indicated they would remain or need transportation, and the timeline and costs for any transitional transportation supports. Treasurer Wagner and administration were asked to provide a detailed Phase 1 accomplishments/data sheet covering enrollment, capacity and costs for the repurposing work as a board assignment.","Board members pressed for clearer information about where Taft students would be assigned after the district approved a Montessori start-up and removed magnet status; superintendent said current pre-K–5 students can remain but transportation will change.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6353445,"Cincinnati school board reviews superintendent's revised goals, presses for SMART metrics and scoring method",924,1941000,2865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9&start=1941&end=2865","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2221301-83a29596ebf196ff5ea6b531f6d397b9/thumbnail_1941000.jpg","/articles/6353445/Ohio/Cincinnati-school-board-reviews-superintendents-revised-goals-presses-for-SMART-metrics-and-scoring-method","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6353445-eee51d04afdc8b41995135d7f67dc929/orig.mp4?Expires=1770615730&Signature=BiNDOm-pldVNVx3kzA44ZlMJFba2QTxE3P8eY-f8Ane060gATxLQLoQ0YcfMP3kEof4UPjcG6D13Xn-QRTvK6swkisBTvX-myQgcwEyxJwzJSszFWCTAS4loyrk~1nPzudbMPdjlcSsScSYdBv9FPW5XEuH6~ik-bMPXoqi7CtF80nV9TaCocvO~OqsJ9ow1hkDOrSwDzkgAAZCC94HpuHJaAJgS-wmXc-enOgvvUdOb6RQ7j4wlxIh5tp7CUA73FzojHwTX-C7FiNwdzUuj5SWV0MTAZAN~S66aKTD-mUH29q5hUqdUhcfZ7kPvSM4QIlNON6YWq7ECSitZYr04sg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Keisha Murphy presented a consolidated, revised set of superintendent goals during the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education meeting on Feb. 1, outlining targets tied to state standards and the district's strategic plan.

Board members pressed for clearer, measurable benchmarks and a consistent scoring approach that the board can use during the superintendent's annual evaluation.

Murphy told the board she combined previously separate goal sheets to match Ohio standards for superintendent evaluation, grouping items under continuous improvement, communication and collaboration, policies and governance, instruction and other areas. She said instructional goals pulled the five targets from the district strategic plan into the instruction section and that several numeric targets had shifted following board feedback. \"Goal 1 around third grade reading, you'll see I hope you can see that's blue is a shift based on some feedback,\" Murphy said.

Board members asked for greater precision and a rollout timeline. Board member Klassick suggested adding a measurable instrument from instructional rounds next year to gauge curriculum use and recommended reassessing numeric targets when the state report card is released in the fall rather than changing them midyear. \"I don't want to feel like we're putting a superintendent in a position where we're moving the goalposts in the middle of the game,\" Klassick said.

Vice President Bolton and several other members urged using SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) language where possible. Murphy said she could provide SMART formulations for areas where baselines are available but cautioned that for some topics she lacked immediate baselines in her first months on the job.

Members also debated whether the five goal areas should be scored collectively or separately. Murphy said her preference would be to treat the five domains as part of a single, weighted evaluation of the superintendent's overall work: \"If I had my dream ... I would love it if they could be considered or weighted evenly, in the overall evaluation of my work as a as a complete body of work.\" Board members signaled interest in defining a consistent rubric with discrete rating bands (for example, numerical tiers such as 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) rather than a binary satisfactory/unsatisfactory outcome.

Several members requested a schedule for revisiting and finalizing the metrics, with multiple board members asking that goal reassessment align closely to the state report card release in September/October. Murphy and Treasurer Wagner were directed to present additional details on the instructional goals and scoring mechanics at a future meeting.

The board did not take a vote on the evaluation metrics at the Feb. 1 meeting; members said they expected the topic to return for further discussion and finalization.

Looking ahead, board members asked for more explicit sub-goals under the non-instructional standards so the board can consistently evaluate progress across all five domains rather than only the instructional measures. Several members emphasized that the board should produce a coordinated annual calendar for goal setting and reassessment tied to state data releases.","Superintendent Keisha Murphy presented revised evaluation goals aligned to Ohio standards; board members pushed for SMART targets, a consistent scoring rubric and timing tied to the state report card.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board weighs budgeting models, staffing formulas and class-size tradeoffs as treasurer models costs

Treasurer outlines levy options and capital plan as board weighs new money and timing

Board seeks clarity after Taft Elementary Montessori decision; questions about student displacement and transportation

Cincinnati school board reviews superintendent's revised goals, presses for SMART metrics and scoring method