Cleveland schools approve executive and administrator raises as district advances wide-ranging budget reduction plans

Raises approved amid a multi-year effort to close projected deficits

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Board of Education approved pay increases for top leadership and for hundreds of administrators while the district pursued cost-cutting measures tied to long-range budget pressures.

In June 2025, the board voted to grant Chief Executive Officer Warren Morgan a 5% raise, increasing his base salary to $299,250. The raise followed a year in which Morgan did not receive an annual increase. The vote came as the district publicly described the need for significant reductions over multiple years to avoid running a deficit.

Administrator pay structure reset approved for nearly 500 positions

Earlier, in May 2025, the board approved $2.5 million to implement a new salary structure for almost 500 administrators. District officials said the minimum and maximum ranges for those administrative roles had not been updated since 2018 and argued the outdated pay bands contributed to retention and recruiting challenges.

District leaders told board members that more than half of the $2.5 million allocation would be used to bring current administrators up to the newly set pay scale for their positions. Board members also discussed the potential for lower turnover to reduce recurring hiring and training costs over time.

District leadership stated that the new administrative salary structure did not apply to the district’s highest-ranking “chiefs and officers,” including the CEO and executive leadership team.

Budget actions included calendar changes and central-office reductions

The raises occurred alongside other district decisions intended to reduce costs. In April 2025, the board voted to end extended-time calendars used at a portion of district schools, moving some schools back to the traditional schedule and eliminating extra daily instructional minutes at others. The district projected annual savings of $9.3 million from those calendar changes, largely tied to reduced salary costs for staff working the additional time.

Separately, the district advanced efforts to limit central-office spending as part of its deficit-reduction planning, including reviewing staffing and budgeting earlier than typical in the annual cycle.

School consolidation plan adopted for 2026-27 implementation

In December 2025, the board adopted the district’s “Building Brighter Futures” recommendations, a consolidation plan shaped by months of community engagement and internal analysis. The plan is designed to reduce the number of school sites and shift more students into newer buildings, while expanding access to academic offerings and extracurricular activities.

District materials describing the plan cite a long-term enrollment decline from about 70,000 students in 2004 to about 34,000. The plan is set to take effect beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

• June 2025: Board approved a 5% raise for CEO Warren Morgan, raising base salary to $299,250.
• May 2025: Board approved $2.5 million for a revised administrator salary structure covering nearly 500 roles.
• April 2025: Board approved ending extended-time calendars at a portion of schools, projecting $9.3 million in annual savings.
• December 2025: Board adopted “Building Brighter Futures” consolidation recommendations for 2026-27.

Key decisions on compensation and restructuring unfolded while district leaders publicly emphasized the need to align spending with long-term enrollment and revenue realities.