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The Cleveland Group Plan of 1903

Back side of the Board of Education Building, with the statue of Abraham Lincoln, 1932.

Facade of the Board of Education Building at night, 1962.

Construction of the Board of Education Building, 1930.

Artist rendition of the Board of Education Building, 1930.

• Designed by: Walker and Weeks
• Completed in: 1931
• See more images of this building

The Cleveland Board of Education Building was designed by the architectural firm of Walker and Weeks and is a six story example of Beaux-Arts style influenced by the Italian Renaissance.  The Cleveland schools sold the property at auction to the St. Louis-based Drury chain in 2013 and after a $52-million renovation, the building re-opened on April 29, 2016 as the Drury Plaza Hotel Cleveland.

In terms of artwork, the building is noted for the Holden Murals, painted by Cleveland artist Cora Holden in the main lobby.  With the subjects of "Progress of Education" and "Branches of Education" the panels each measure 12 by 16 feet. At the front entrance to the building (facing the Mall) is a statue of Abraham Lincoln by Max Kalish, financed by the pennies of Cleveland schoolchildren.  The text of the Gettysburg address is inscribed on the base.

For Further Reading:

• Brief slide show of the building's exteriors - From D. H. Ellison Co.

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• Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Dedicated to excellence in education

• Board of Education

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A special message from CMSD CEO Dr. Warren Morgan and Cleveland Board of Education Chair Sara Elaqad about the changes to CMSD Board of Education Meetings.

Public Comment Form - September 2024 - request to speak at the next Board Business Meeting on September 24th.

The first 13 individuals who submit their Request to Speak form in a timely manner will be recognized at the Board Business Meeting and permitted to address the Board for up to three minutes on the issue indicated on their submitted form.

The registration to speak at the September 24th Board Business Meeting is now closed. Registration to address the Board of Education at the next Board Business Meeting on October 22nd will be available on this web page beginning the evening of October 8th.

There are currently three vacancies on the CMSD Board of Education. The community-based Nominating Panel will be making nominations to Mayor Justin M. Bibb, who will then make the appointments to these Board seats. Two of these vacancies are for unexpired terms ending June 30, 2027, and one vacancy is for an unexpired term ending June 30, 2025. Persons interested in being considered for appointment to one of these vacancies can complete and submit an application here:

CMSD Board of Education Appointment Information | City of Cleveland Ohio

Cleveland’s current school governance structure was created by Ohio House Bill 269 in 1997, and took effect September 9, 1998. The Board of Education is made up of nine voting members appointed by the Mayor of Cleveland from a slate of nominees selected by a local nominating panel, established under State law. At least four of the nine members must have significant expertise in either education, finance, or business management. Board members must be residents of the School District, and at least one of the nine members must reside in that part of the School District that is outside the City of Cleveland (Bratenahl, Linndale, Newburgh Heights, and parts of Brook Park and Garfield Heights).

State law also provides that the presidents of Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga Community College serve as nonvoting ex officio members of the Board.

The Board of Education functions as the governing body of the School District. Board responsibilities include: hiring the School District Chief Executive Officer (with the concurrence of the Mayor); setting School District policy; approving the School District budget; establishing goals and accountability standards; and promoting parent, family, and community involvement in the schools.

2023 CMSD Board of Education Application

The City of Cleveland is accepting applications for appointment to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board of Education.

To be considered for an appointment to a four-year term, one must be a resident of the CMSD. Current employees of the district and elected officials are not eligible to serve on the board. The application deadline for mail or drop off submissions at Cleveland City Hall is April 14 th . Online submissions will be accepted through April 16 th .

To find more information about the CMSD Board seats and the application process visit:  https://www.clevelandohio.gov/CMSDApplicationForm  

Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees Application

The CMSD Board of Education serves as the appointing authority of the Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the Cleveland Public Library. The Board of Trustees is made up of seven members, who must be residents and registered voters of Cuyahoga County. The Board of Trustees meets monthly, and the Trustees serve without compensation. Trustees are appointed to the Library Board of Trustees by the CMSD Board of Education for seven-year terms, with one term expiring in July of each year.

Persons interested in being considered for appointment to the Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees term beginning July 2, 2024, should complete and submit this online application by Monday, June 3, 2024 . Should you have any questions concerning this application please call the Board of Education at 216-838-0032.

What it means to serve

Upcoming meetings, october 8, 2024.

6:30 PM Board Work Session

October 22, 2024

6:30 PM Board Business Meeting

November 6, 2024

The Board of Education meetings are held on two Tuesdays each month at 6:30 p.m. The first meeting is a work session devoted primarily to information gathering and deliberation on issues for future Board business meeting. The second meeting of each month is a business meeting held at various schools throughout the school district and devoted primarily to the consideration of and voting on Board resolutions.

For the first semester of the academic year, work sessions are held at Arnold Pinkney East Professional Center, 1349 E. 79 Street. During the second semester of the academic year, the work sessions are moved to Garrett Morgan High School, 4600 Detroit Avenue. The business meetings are held at various schools throughout the district.

Parents and the community are encouraged to attend Board meetings. In addition to conducting the business of the School District at these meetings, the Board also provides for public participation (at Board business meetings) in order to hear community concerns, and recognizes the achievements of our students and staff, and the contributions of our community partners. The Board also holds a number of Community Forums throughout the year on policy issues of interest to the community.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD BUSINESS MEETINGS       

The Board of Education invites the community to publicly address the Board at its monthly Board Business Meetings (usually held on the fourth Tuesday of the month), where the Board sets aside 40 minutes on the meeting agenda to hear from the community.

Individuals wishing to address the board must complete a Request to Speak form available on the District website. The link to the request to speak form will go live at the end of each Board Work Session and will remain open until noon the day of the next scheduled Board Meeting. This sequence will provide the public with a two-week window to notify the board of an intent to speak. The link to the Request to Speak form will be available on this page during the two week period in between the Work Session and the next scheduled Board Business Meeting.

Forms submitted after the 12:00 noon cut-off on the day of the Board Business Meeting, will be held until the next Board Business Meeting.

The first 13 individuals who submit their Request to Speak form in a timely manner will be recognized at the Board Business Meeting and permitted to address the Board for up to three minutes on the issue indicated on their submitted form.  A separate form must be submitted for each speaker, and speakers may not yield any portion of their time to another person. Speakers at the Board Business Meeting may also present to the Board any other materials relevant to their issue. 

Beginning with the November 21, 2023 Board Business Meeting, the Board will no longer accept paper Request to Speak forms at the Board Business Meeting.

For individuals who do not have adequate digital connectivity or have other barriers to the online form submission process, please call (216-838-0032) for assistance submitting your Request to Speak.

A video explaining the Board’s public participation process can be found at   https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/board-of-education.

If you have any comments, questions or concerns about the School District, you may contact the Board Office at (216) 838-0000 or email the Office staff below. The Board members are here to serve our children and their families.

Board Awards Diplomas to Veterans of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War

State law allows boards of education to award high school diplomas to any World War II, Korean War or Vietnam War veteran, who is an Ohio resident, or who was previously enrolled in any high school in Ohio, if all of the following apply:

• The veteran left a public or nonpublic school in any state prior to graduation in order to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States, or left school due to family circumstances and subsequently entered the Armed Forces of the United States;
• The veteran received an honorable discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States;
• The veteran has not previously been granted a high school diploma.

If a veteran who would otherwise qualify for a diploma under this law is deceased, a board of education may award such diploma posthumously and may present that diploma to a living relative of the veteran.

The Board of Education of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has been proud to award diplomas to many eligible veterans and their families. Interested veterans or their family members can contact the Board of Education at 216-838-0030 for more information.

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Mailing Address:    Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214