When COVID-19 upended our lives four years ago, kids suffered. The “three-week spring break” we originally envisioned stretched for months as teachers and students struggled with online learning. Schools jumped to address needs: technology, mental health, meals. Once kids finally returned to the classroom, schools faced more challenges: learning loss, a lack of bus drivers, constantly changing health protocols. Remember all the plastic barriers ordered and the HVAC systems improved? The barriers have since been tossed, but pandemic harm persists in kids whose math and reading skills are still not up to par, even as federal stimulus money peters out. With the end of COVID money, districts across the country are facing difficult budget choices. — Laura |
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Cleveland schools CEO Warren Morgan says the district is planning to make several cuts to offset the loss of money from the American Rescue Plan Act. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com file photo) |
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School budgets: School districts across the country are preparing for budget deficits as their American Rescue Plan Act dollars expire at the end of September. But how well they will fare depends on how much federal aid they received – and whether they adequately prepared for its eventual disappearance, reports Lucas Daprile. Cleveland Metropolitan School District plans to stave off the deficit by temporarily paying some healthcare costs using a special reserve, as well as cutting administrative staff, summer learning, out-of-school programs and COVID-era technology purchases, and aligning school calendars to be more efficient. COVID anniversary: How badly did we blow it? On COVID’s fourth anniversary, readers say our rancor doomed our response and we have to embrace science next time. Chris Quinn collects responses from hundreds of readers, who say precautions like closing schools and requiring masks saved lives, but also revealed ideological rifts and skepticism of government and health mandates. LGBTQ issues: Republican candidates in Ohio have adopted a common attack in their appeals to GOP primary voters: painting their opponents as too sympathetic toward gay and transgender people. Jeremy Pelzer and Andrew Tobias report the messages reflect the sentiments behind legislation targeting transgender people that has become pervasive in Ohio’s Statehouse, including bills banning gender-affirming care for children and those regulating which bathroom transgender people can use. Library child care: The Cuyahoga County Public Library system has found a creative way to address the child care crisis. The pilot program, which combines an on-site child care center at the library’s Maple Heights branch, is the only one of its kind in Ohio. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports it’s been so successful that now a second branch with this service is on its way to Parma Heights. Today in Ohio: During the third and final Republican U.S. Senate debate, Bernie Moreno, Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose accused their opponents of not being truthful about who they are. We’re talking about the candidates trying to portray the others as not being true conservatives on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily news podcast. |
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Supreme Court finance: The candidates vying for three open seats that could swing control of the state Supreme Court filed their final campaign finance disclosures Thursday before the looming primary, Jake Zuckerman reports. Democratic candidates have started banking funds after showing lackluster fundraising in their prior report. However, two Republicans wield significant cash advantages over their general-election challengers. Race-based scholarships: Northeast Ohio colleges were well-aware that they needed to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down admissions policies meant to diversify the student body. Then Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told college leaders that they needed to apply the ruling to another realm: race-conscious scholarships, reports Laura Hancock. Though not everyone agrees with the interpretation, Ohio colleges are in the process of reviewing, analyzing and updating their scholarships to fit with the ruling. Campaign finance: Two Cleveland-area millionaires running in Ohio’s Republican U.S. Senate race dipped further into their personal wealth to help fund their campaigns in the final weeks before the March 19 primary election, reports Andrew Tobias. Campaign finance disclosures show state Sen. Matt Dolan, of Chagrin Falls, and Westlake businessman Bernie Moreno both have roughly $2.4 million in their campaign bank accounts, after Dolan loaned his campaign $2 million in February and Moreno loaned his campaign $1.2 million. SOTU reaction: After President Biden’s State of the Union speech on Thursday, Democrats praised his remarks for underlining his administration’s accomplishments and outlining a clear agenda, while those on the GOP side of the aisle dismissed it as empty campaign rhetoric. Sabrina Eaton sums up the responses. Portman endorsement: Ex-Sen. Rob Portman and his wife, Jane, are backing state Sen. Matt Dolan in the Senate race, reports Andrew Tobias. In a statement, Portman praised Dolan’s “conservative record of accomplishment and his commitment to continue to focus on achieving results.” |
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Bicycling access: The almost total lack of bicycle routes on a map of downtown Cleveland spoke volumes about the center city as a virtual hole in the donut of regional bike trails. It also suggested that the opportunities for improvement are huge — if the city can only realize them. Steven Litt reports those were two takeaways from a new “Downtown Livability and Transportation Study” for Cleveland unveiled Friday at the quarterly board meeting of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. Bike accidents: Nearly 9,000 bicyclists and pedestrians were struck and killed by cars across the U.S. in 2022 — a level of traffic violence that hit a 40-year high, according to widely reported government data. In Cleveland in 2023, some 550 bicyclists and pedestrians were hit by cars, and nine of them died, reports Steven Litt. But bike and pedestrian advocates are encouraged by changes in city policy. Neither rain ...: A Cleveland mail carrier is hanging up his bag after 66 years on the job, yielding his title as the longest-serving carrier in Ohio and among the top 20 nationally. Megan Sims reports Alfonzo Wilson Jr. had been on the job since 1957. Matthew Ahn: Political newcomer Matthew Ahn is challenging Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Mike O’Malley in the March 19 Democratic primary, aiming to hold criminals accountable while overseeing an office of more than 400 people. But Cory Shaffer reports Ahn faces questions about his background, including public claims of management experience, and a social media post he shared advocating for “a world without prisons or police” has raised concerns, especially among police. New housing: Cleveland is using some of its last remaining money from the American Rescue Plan Act to bring new and renovated housing to parts of the city that have long suffered from disinvestment. Courtney Astolfi reports a $9.9 million grant to the Cuyahoga Land Bank, approved by City Council last week, is intended to jump-start the housing market in locations that have attracted little private development. School grants: Ohio announced its first round of Career Technical Educational Equipment Grants, with $67.7 million awarded to 56 schools statewide. Hannah Drown reports two Cuyahoga County schools made the list – Brooklyn City Schools, which was awarded more than $266,000, and North Shore High School in Cleveland and Garfield Heights, which was awarded $805,000. |
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Flu rates: Ohio has received one of the highest flu activity designations in the nation for yet another week. It continues to be one of only five states or districts with a “very high” CDC designation, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. Nebraska and Ohio scored a 12, the highest in the country. Jobs added: Ohio’s economy started the year by adding thousands of jobs, but the state also saw an uptick in unemployed workers and its unemployment rate. Sean McDonnell reports Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in January, up from 3.6% in December. New flight: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will debut its fifth international destination this Saturday, with the launch of new service to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Frontier Airlines, which announced the new route in December, will fly to the popular Caribbean vacation spot three times per week, reports Susan Glaser. |
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Violin stolen: A Cleveland Heights musician’s weekend kicked off on a sour note when his violin apparently was stolen, but as a new week begins, he still holds onto hope. Alan Choo, a musician and concertmaster with the Apollo Fire Baroque Orchestra, was at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights on Friday when his violin turned up missing, Megan Sims reports. Drug sentence: A Cleveland man with 25 prior convictions over the last quarter century was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for dealing heroin and fentanyl in western Pennsylvania. Adam Ferrise reports Albert Cummings, 44, peddled the drugs in Ohio and Pennsylvania in 2020 and 2021. Fatal shooting: A man was shot dead early Saturday morning in the city’s AsiaTown neighborhood, police said. Officials have not publicly identified the 38-year-old man who was killed in the shooting that happened about 12:30 a.m. on East 30th Street near Perkins Avenue, Kaylee Remington reports. |
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Women in Music: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating Women’s History Month by highlighting the contributions and innovations of women artists over the past 50 years with a new exhibition, “Revolutionary Women in Music.” Malcolm X Abram reports the dedication featured Go-Go’s guitarist-songwriter and 2021 Rock Hall inductee Jane Wiedlin, Shirley Manson, singer of Garbage, singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, and singer-songwriter-guitarist and Lorain native Malina Moye. Five faves: On Fridays, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer deliver a column called “5 for Friday,” a look at the favorite dining spots and dishes coveted and craved by your favorite local movers-and-shakers. Peter Chakerian recaps some of our faves. Lantern Parade: Lanterns of all shapes, sizes and designs lit the Towpath Trail during the third annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade starting at the Sokolowski’s Overlook in the Tremont neighborhood Saturday evening. John Kuntz has photos. |
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Northeast Ohio road projects: Detours soon will pop up as work begins Read more Northeast Ohio snow totals from Sunday: Geauga County town gets 7 inches Read more Mayor Welo compares closing of Notre Dame College to an ‘earthquake’ for the city Read more Man claims restaurant owner threatened to shoot him in Brook Park Read more Parma police video shows high-speed chase that ended in Cleveland; driver charged Read more Berea tax abatements legislation poised for passage Read more University Heights PAC begins recall petition drive against Mayor Brennan Read more Beachwood seeks funds for $17 million Richmond/Chagrin/I-271 traffic project Read more |
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