If you’ve ever sat through a three-hour meeting in a hard plastic chair at the Delisle Center, you know. Local government isn’t always glamorous. Actually, it's rarely glamorous. But the Cleveland Heights Board of Education—officially the governing body for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District—is where the literal future of these two vibrant, complicated suburbs gets decided. It’s a mix of high-stakes budgeting, passionate parental advocacy, and the occasional heated debate over things like school boundary lines or state funding formulas.
People care. A lot.
They should care because the board manages a massive budget, oversees thousands of students across buildings like the historic Heights High, and navigates the tricky waters of Ohio’s educational laws. This isn't just about picking out textbooks. It's about taxes, equity, and whether the "Tiger Nation" pride remains a reality or just a slogan on a t-shirt.
The Power Dynamic: Who Actually Runs the Show?
The board consists of five members. These aren’t career politicians—well, usually not—but neighbors elected by you to four-year terms. They aren’t paid much, but they hold the keys to the district’s $100+ million annual operating budget.
It’s a heavy lift.
The Cleveland Heights Board of Education doesn't manage the day-to-day "how do we teach algebra" stuff; that’s the Superintendent’s job. The board hires the Superintendent and the Treasurer. Think of it like a corporate board: they set the vision, and the Superintendent, currently Elizabeth Kirby, executes it. If the vision is blurry, the whole district feels it.
Honestly, the dynamic between the board and the administration is where the "real" news happens. When they are in sync, things move. When they aren't? You get those long, awkward pauses during the televised meetings on YouTube. You see the tension in the way questions are phrased during the "report of the superintendent" section.
The Money Problem Nobody Can Ignore
We have to talk about EdChoice. You can't mention the Cleveland Heights Board of Education without talking about the lawsuit against the State of Ohio. For years, the CH-UH district has been a lead plaintiff in challenging how private school vouchers are funded.
It's a massive drain on local resources.
Basically, the state takes money that would have gone to the public schools and sends it to private and parochial schools when students use vouchers. In Cleveland Heights, this hit harder than in almost any other district in the state. We are talking millions of dollars. The board has been incredibly vocal—some would say obsessed, though rightly so—with how this "unconstitutional" (their words) funding system guts the local budget.
If you wonder why your property taxes feel high while the district is still asking for levies, that’s a huge part of the "why." The board has to balance the books while the state effectively moves the goalposts every couple of years. It’s a constant state of financial defensive maneuvering.
The "Heights High" Factor and Facilities
The 2017 renovation of Cleveland Heights High School was a turning point. It cost a fortune. It’s beautiful. But the Cleveland Heights Board of Education is still dealing with the ripple effects of that and the subsequent middle school renovations.
Managing old buildings in an old suburb is a nightmare.
You’ve got boilers that date back to the Truman administration and roofs that leak the moment a dark cloud appears over Lake Erie. The board has to decide: do we fix the roof at Noble Elementary or do we invest in a new STEM curriculum? Those are the trade-offs. They aren't fun.
One thing most people get wrong is thinking the board has a "secret pile of money" for emergencies. They don’t. Ohio school funding is based on property taxes and a complicated state formula that basically penalizes "wealthy" districts—even though Cleveland Heights has a high poverty rate in certain pockets. It’s a demographic mismatch that the board spends half its time trying to explain to the public.
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How to Actually Influence the Board
Showing up is half the battle. But showing up at the right time is the other half.
The Cleveland Heights Board of Education holds regular meetings and work sessions. If you want to change something, don’t just vent on a Facebook group. Go to the public comment section. You get three minutes.
Pro tip: Don't spend all three minutes complaining about one specific teacher. The board literally can’t do anything about personnel issues in a public forum due to union contracts and privacy laws. They’ll just nod politely while the legal counsel stares at the clock. If you want to move the needle, talk about policy. Talk about the "Equity Policy" the district passed a few years back. Ask how that policy is actually being measured in terms of discipline data or AP course enrollment.
That’s how you get their attention.
The Tension Between "Heights" and "University Heights"
It’s in the name: Cleveland Heights-University Heights. But sometimes it feels like University Heights is the younger sibling trying to get a word in at the dinner table.
The board has to represent both.
Geographic representation on the board fluctuates. Sometimes you have a board dominated by Cleveland Heights residents, and University Heights feels left out of the conversation regarding school closures or facility upgrades. A few years ago, there were even whispers of University Heights trying to secede from the school district. It didn't happen—it’s legally almost impossible—but that tension is a constant subtext in board deliberations.
What’s Next for the District?
The upcoming years are going to be defined by "post-pandemic" reality. The federal ESSER funds (emergency relief money) are dried up. The Cleveland Heights Board of Education is now facing the "cliff" everyone warned about.
They have to figure out how to keep the extra reading specialists and mental health counselors they hired when the federal money was flowing. If the money isn't there, do they cut programs or go back to the voters for another levy?
Levy fatigue is real in the Heights.
People love their schools, but they also love being able to afford their mortgages. The board knows this. They are walking a tightrope between providing a "gold standard" education and not taxing their constituents out of their homes.
Actionable Steps for Residents
If you live in the district or have kids in the schools, here is how you stay informed without losing your mind:
- Watch the Work Sessions: The regular meetings are for the "show"—passing motions and awards. The work sessions are where the board actually debates the nuances of the budget and policy. That’s where the "sausage is made."
- Read the Five-Year Forecast: It’s a document the Treasurer puts out. It’s dry. It’s full of spreadsheets. But it tells you exactly when the district expects to run out of money. It’s the most honest document in the building.
- Check the Committee Assignments: Board members sit on different committees (Lay Finance, Facilities, etc.). Find out which board member is the liaison for the topic you care about and email them directly. They are usually pretty responsive.
- Look at the "Report Card": The Ohio Department of Education issues district report cards. Don't just look at the overall star rating. Look at the "Gap Closing" and "Progress" metrics. That tells you if the board’s policies are actually helping the kids who need it most.
The Cleveland Heights Board of Education isn't a monolith. It’s five different people with five different sets of priorities, trying to navigate one of the most complex school districts in Northeast Ohio. Whether you think they are doing a great job or a terrible one, they are the ones steering the ship. Stay loud, stay informed, and definitely stay involved in the levy cycles—because that's where the rubber truly meets the road.