Cincinnati Public Schools held its first system-wide furlough day on September 21, 2026, closing all district buildings and canceling classes, meals, transportation, and after-school activities as part of a plan to close a $58.6 million budget deficit. The board of education approved five furlough days for all employees on June 22 in a 4-3 vote, estimating the move would save $7.5 million.
CPS is the only one of Ohio's three largest urban districts to use unpaid days off for all staff. Columbus City Schools and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District have instead cut positions and closed buildings, according to news reports from WOSU Public Media and Signal Cleveland.
What the furlough days accomplish
The board also approved eliminating 111 positions, including 81 central office jobs, 12 social workers, 8 counselors, and 10 assistant principals, plus ending International Baccalaureate programs and cutting non-personnel spending by 10 percent. These measures together save roughly $13 million, leaving more than $40 million of the deficit still unaddressed, according to WVXU.
Superintendent Shauna Murphy stated in a September 11 email to parents that, although the district had balanced the 2026-27 budget, continued financial discipline was necessary to protect classroom instruction and essential student services, according to FOX19.
All five furlough days are non-work days for every employee with no exceptions, and district buildings are closed with no activities scheduled. The district said this also saves utility costs, according to WKRC.
Furlough days set CPS apart from Columbus and Cleveland
Columbus City Schools, Ohio's largest district, faced a $50 million deficit for 2026-27 and cut 299 positions, including 112 layoffs, closed four school buildings, and reduced busing. The board has since instructed administrators to find another $50 million in cuts by December 31, 2026. Columbus did not implement furlough days, according to WOSU Public Media.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District faced a projected $64.3 million deficit and consolidated 39 schools, closed 18 buildings, and laid off hundreds of employees, including 146 teachers and 132 paraprofessionals, saving $30 million, plus $15 million in central office cuts. Even after those measures, CMSD is projected to run out of cash by 2030, according to Signal Cleveland. CMSD also did not implement furlough days.
Tax levy on November ballot
CPS is asking voters to approve a 7-mill property tax levy in November 2026. If approved, it would cost a homeowner with the district's median home value an additional $551 per year, according to WKRC. This is the third consecutive year the district has made cuts to balance its budget.
Board Member Kari Armbruster stated at the June 22 meeting that the reductions approved so far cover only $13 million of the needed $58 million, and that the decisions simply had to be made, according to WKRC. Treasurer Michael Gustin told the board at a July 13 meeting that administrators needed more time to assess costs of remaining reductions, citing rising student transportation costs, according to WVXU.
Union challenges and family impact
The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers stated that the furlough days violate the CPS contract guaranteeing pay for 191 days. Union president Julie Sellers said the union has been against furlough days since they were first proposed and that five unpaid days amount to 2.6 percent of teacher salary, or roughly $60 to $100 per paycheck for the average teacher, according to WKRC.
Parents raised concerns that the furlough days disproportionately affect students facing homelessness who rely on school meals, as well as students with special needs who depend on routine. One parent questioned whether the days were meant to pressure voters into supporting the November levy, according to FOX19.
State funding context
Ohio's Fair School Funding formula was frozen at 2021 cost levels in the 2025 state budget, meaning districts receive funding based on outdated costs. CMSD alone lost approximately $157 million over 2026 and 2027 due to that freeze and adjustments based on increased property values in Cleveland. CPS board members and district leaders similarly attributed their deficit to state law changes costing an estimated $6 million to $12 million annually, according to WLWT.
The Ohio State University analysis by Vladimir Kogan found that close to 120 Ohio school districts were on track to enter fiscal oversight in spring 2026 without drastic action, indicating a systemic funding crisis across the state rather than a district-specific problem, according to Signal Cleveland.