Community Inclusion Update 6 May 21, 2013
Introduction This report is the latest in a continuing series on the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s compliance with the Board of Education’s directives regarding community inclusion in contracting and hiring in the District’s school facilities program. Over the past several years, the Bond Accountability Commission has noted to the District certain deficiencies in its reporting of data on construction contracting with minority- and female-owned businesses, known collectively as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), and on construction employment of minorities, women and District residents. Those deficiencies were not corrected, so the BAC for the past year, beginning with a formal letter to the District dated March 13, 2012, has actively sought clarification from the District on exactly how the reports are compiled and on exactly what the reports do and don’t include. In the meantime, the BAC stopped reporting the data provided by the District, pending the requested clarifications on the information’s accuracy and inclusiveness. The BAC’s goal is to be able to give District residents a clear understanding of what the District is reporting, including any limitations of the reports, and to provide public updates on a regular basis. As part of this effort, the BAC has also attempted to obtain an accounting of how many recent CMSD graduates – those who graduated since construction began in 2002 -have been able to get work in the construction program. The BAC’s concern with these matters stems partly from directives, policies and goals contained in the District’s Community Inclusion Plan Program Statement and the Board of Education’s Resolution 2001-159(B), approved April 23, 2001, which is regarded as containing promises to the public before voter approval of Issue 14 on the May 2001 ballot. Issue 14 has provided $335 million in bond proceeds to fund the construction and renovation program, as well as revenue from a continuing half-mill levy for maintenance of new schools. Information for this report has been obtained primarily from School District documents as well as interviews and correspondence with District administrators. Following is what the BAC has been able to learn regarding CMSD’s contracting and 1