Kilgour Elementary, Clark Montessori and Withrow University High School will all close Aug. 12, for the first of five mandatory furlough days the Cincinnati Board of Education confirmed at its Aug. 4 meeting. That same night, the board adopted a $634.6 million budget built on nearly $58 million in cuts and placed a five-year, 7-mill property tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot.

For east-side families, the three votes add up to a single reality: fewer staff, shorter school calendars and a November decision that will determine whether deeper reductions follow.

The furlough days

All district buildings shut down on furlough days, with no exceptions for any employee. Aug. 12 is the first closure. The district has not publicly released the remaining four dates.

The furloughs are part of a broader cost-cutting package approved at a June 22 meeting that also eliminated 111 positions districtwide, including 12 social workers, 10 assistant principals and eight counselors, according to WLWT.

The budget

The $634.6 million general-fund budget closes a projected $58 million gap through staffing reductions, the furlough days, a 10 percent cut to non-personnel spending, tighter hiring controls and limited one-time resources, according to the district's official announcement. As we reported Aug. 5, the budget was shaped by a decade without new operating revenue from voters.

During that stretch, the district said in its announcement, inflation drove up costs for transportation, insurance, utilities, technology, instructional materials, building repairs and specialized student services.

The levy switch

The board voted 6-1 to rescind a previously approved 0.75% earned-income tax and then voted 5-1-1 to place the property tax levy on the ballot instead. Board member Kendra Mapp cast the lone "no" on both votes; Vice President Kareem Moncree-Moffett abstained on the levy placement, WCPO reported.

The switch came after community pushback against the income tax's impact on working residents. The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers said a property tax is fairer than an income tax because the burden is shared across the community rather than falling directly on employee paychecks.

If voters approve the levy, it would generate roughly $66.3 million annually starting in January 2027. For a home with a market value of $100,000, the cost would be about $245 per year.

Parents want a spending plan first

Not everyone left the Aug. 4 meeting satisfied. CPS parent Terana Boyd, affiliated with We Excel Cincy, told WCPO after the vote: "I was definitely surprised that it got passed … Just because all the board was not on the same level, in agreement. I'm very concerned about that."

Parent advocate Ashley Harp-Dillion echoed the call for accountability, saying the district needs to show families a clear plan for how levy dollars would be spent before asking them to vote yes.

Board President Brandon Craig told WCPO on Aug. 4 that cuts are no longer sustainable without new revenue, noting that positions directly serving students were already eliminated this year.

What's next for east-side schools

Clark Montessori's open house is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13, from 4–6 p.m. Kilgour's open house is set for Monday, Aug. 17, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Withrow's open house date has not been announced. Voters will decide on the 7-mill levy on Nov. 3.