In total, 13 schools, designated as "investment schools," will receive about $6.5 million from the new levy. These are schools that demonstrated serious need because of poor academic performance or current lack of resources.
The district hasn’t decided how to divide that money among the schools. But CEO Eric Gordon says the money will fund changes in programming and staff that are specific to each school’s needs.
GORDON: “If we’re going to increase staff, maybe specialized staff to help with a learning need, that’s money. If we’re going to extend Saturday programming or after-school programming or extended longer day, that’s money...The money is going in to these investments of people, time, talent and programming.”
District officials will meet with parents and teachers from the schools for input on what those needs are, and how much money should go to them.
Gordon says he may also shuffle teachers or principals into these schools or out of them. The state legislature granted him that authority over staffing when it approved the Cleveland Plan last year.
The district plans to direct levy money at two more groups of investment schools -- one group in the 2014 academic year, and the other the following year.
