By Joan Crigger
November 18, 2002

On November 5, the citizens of Cleveland voted overwhelmingly to keep Mayor Jane Campbell, Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Education Standing Committee, in charge of the Cleveland's public schools system. More than 70 percent of voters approved Issue 4 on the ballot, which asked if the school system should be run permanently with a mayor-appointed school board. On hearing the results of the vote, Mayor Campbell said, "Now we have a job to do. We started this path to success, but we're not done."

Mayor Campbell and Cleveland Municipal School District Chief Executive Barbara Byrd-Bennett led the effort to keep mayoral control. They shared their message with mayors during the "Mayors Take the Lead: Educating Our Children" conference which was held in Cleveland October 7-8 during which they reported significant improvements in the city's schools.

In 1998, the Ohio State Legislature turned the then-failing school system over to former Mayor Michael White, with a referendum to be held at the end of four years. The legislation gave the mayor the authority to appoint school board members for the next four years. There were significant problems with the school system prior to mayoral control including the Cleveland schools passed only 35 percent of the students; now 50 percent of the students pass. Also, prior to mayoral control, regular attendance in schools was less than 80 percent; now attendance is over 90 percent every day.