Say Yes Cleveland, a nonprofit that provides college scholarships to Cleveland students, will be cutting back on the support staff it provides to schools throughout the city.
The organization said Tuesday that it is offering a voluntary "exit package" to the 89 family support specialists who work at Cleveland Metropolitan School District schools and also at some charter schools that partner with the district. Catherine Tkachyk, interim executive director of Say Yes Cleveland, said the nonprofit is responding to "persistent funding challenges, evolving community needs, and broader trends" impacting nonprofits across the country.
"We are shifting our model in partnership with stakeholders to reflect evolving community needs, ensure long-term sustainability and maintain strong support to students and families," Tkachyk said in a statement. "As part of this effort, we are transitioning to a more efficient structure for delivering school-based services. Central to this is our Family Support Specialist program. In some cases, Specialists may begin serving more than one school, and our supervisory structure will be adjusted to support this model."
Say Yes Cleveland, which started in 2019, is mainly known as a “college promise” program, which provides full college tuition for Cleveland students who attend four years of high school and live in the boundaries of CMSD. The role of family support specialists in local schools goes beyond preparation for higher education, however; they help families access local social services and keep an eye out on children's academic progress and social-emotional health.
Tkachyk said the scholarships Say Yes Cleveland provides will continue "uninterrupted" for all eligible students. The nonprofit in 2024 said it had raised more than $100 million of the $125 million needed to support those scholarships for decades to come, with about $9 million paid out so far.
However, the family support specialist program has been more difficult to fund. While funding from CMSD and charter schools has remained consistent, Cuyahoga County cut funding for the program in 2022, dropping its total funding from $9.25 million to $4.9 million, leading to a shortfall. That gap was covered in subsequent years with pandemic relief funds from the city and county and funding in the state budget. Sunny Simon, a Cuyahoga County council member who has previously criticized Say Yes Cleveland for not finding a stable funding model for the family support specialist program, voiced her support for the organization Thursday.
"While it is unfortunate that cuts are being made to the Say Yes staff, it is important that this vital program continue to provide a path for families to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty," Simon said in a brief statement.
Tkachyk said her organization will be monitoring the upcoming state biennial budget and changes to federal funding.
"While some adjustments may still be needed as conditions evolve, namely the upcoming state budget, our mission remains unchanged: to help every CMSD student and partner charter school student achieve postsecondary success," she said. "These updates are about preserving what works, adapting where needed, and ensure that Say Yes continues to show up for Cleveland’s kids - now and in the future."
Say Yes declined to confirm how many staff have taken the voluntary separation package so far, or how many staff the organization is seeking to shed.
CMSD spokesperson Jon Benedict, who was the former spokesperson for Say Yes, said the district continues to believe the support services Say Yes Cleveland provides are important.
“We highly value the support services that Say Yes Cleveland provides in each CMSD school," Benedict wrote in an email. "We’re confident that as the organization evolves, those supports will continue, and we’ll continue to work closely with Say Yes Cleveland through their transition.”
