CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Shauna Murphy put the district's talents on display with an art-inspired State of the Schools address Tuesday.
She celebrated what she called historic and measurable progress made for students within the district despite more than $100 million in budget cuts over the last two budget cycles, and she laid out a road map for the district through 2030.
Early in the speech, Murphy touted the release of Cincinnati's state report card results.
"For the very first time in the history of the star rating system in the state of Ohio, Cincinnati Public Schools has earned three stars overall," she said.
WATCH: We talk with school officials about the levy vote coming Nov. 3
The superintendent also celebrated increases in scores in the progress, gap closing, and career and technical education sectors.
"Tonight we celebrate how far our students, schools have come because even among the $100 million in cuts over the last several years we are still committed to every single student," she said.
Literacy, attendance, and graduation rates were the key areas that needed improvement, according to Murphy.
School Board President Brandon Craig laid blame for budget difficulties on cuts at the state level.
"We're facing a lot of challenges right now because we know funding for public schools is at risk," he said.
The one thing they didn't address from the stage, was the looming vote on a $66.3 million per year operating levy up for a vote on Nov. 3.
We asked Craig whether he thought the district has made the case that voters should entrust them with a property tax increase.
"I think we've made a strong case," Craig said. "I think we've worked really hard to make sure everyone understands what we're doing in this district. How we've been educating our students. How we've been making sure our students get their needs met."
If passed, the levy would raise property taxes $245 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
