CINCINNATI — Union and district officials described the first day of talks with the Cincinnati Public School District's special budget task force as a "marathon" of meetings as administrators and the school board race to close a $31.6 million budget shortfall.
All six unions joined newly appointed interim superintendent Shauna Murphy, deputy superintendent Alesia Smith and treasurer Jennifer Wagner in the talks starting at 9 a.m.
Outside of the district, parents and others concerned about district operations, like Farasha Moore, feared just how deep the cuts discussed in private would run.
"My mind is blown. I'm not going to lie," Moore said about the district's financial situation.
She said her concern lay with the type of education her nieces and nephews would get if CPS slashed positions across the district, including teachers, as Wagner said was likely during Monday's board meeting.
Moore worried that already stressed staff could leave the district.
"If it's more of a workload and not somewhere where people enjoy being, then it's a chore. You feel me? It's not loving," she said. "It's not a very loving environment when it's work, not because you want to be here."
Wagner told the board in an updated presentation Monday that what was expected to be a shortfall of less than $6 million was actually closer to $32 million, and job cuts would likely be necessary to close the gap.
Board President Eve Bolton agreed.
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"I think there was this great resistance to cutting personnel, and that kind of money requires personnel," she said in an interview ahead of Monday's meeting.
Bolton said the district's board and newly formed task force were up to the task of making cuts, and they made their first moves after learning of the new valuation by delaying 9 appointments or promotions to new positions.
The only appointment they approved from former superintendent Iranetta Wright's recommendations was a principal at Oyler required to be filled by state law.
"This district is almost 200 years old," Bolton said. "Is this difficult? Is this rough? We're in a rough spot, but we're not in trouble."
Moore said, for her family's sake, she was placing her faith in the experts to make cuts with as little impact as possible.
"I hope I can trust them to do their job," she said. "That's the best I can say."
Wagner said she expected the task force to have a more concrete picture of a reduction in force late this week or early next week.
The district and Cincinnati Federation of Teachers representatives declined official comment on negotiations late Tuesday.
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