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By Rosie Palfy
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Board of Education has three new members. Mayor Justin Bibb announced the appointments of Caroline Peak, Jerry Billups, and Pastor Ivory Jones III in a press release on Dec. 3.
The mayor wrote that he was “delighted to welcome” the new Board members.“Their fresh perspectives, dedication to education, and commitment to our community will help us build on our progress and shape CMSD’s future. Together, we will continue to strengthen our schools and create opportunities for students across the district,” said Bibb in the release.
The new appointees will finish the terms of three members who resigned over the summer. They will replace former Vice Chair Leah Hudnall and longtime board members Denise Link and Robert Heard. Hudnall and Link resigned in June, and Heard stepped down in July.
Peak is a retired Cleveland Public Library public service manager with decades of experience in education, literacy, and community development. As a longtime district volunteer, she has served on numerous committees including the Superintendent’s Advisory Board, PTAs, School Community Councils, and the Bond Accountability Commission. Peak was selected to fill Heard’s vacant seat and will serve the unexpired term ending June 30, 2025.
Billups is a lifelong Cleveland resident and a John Marshall High School graduate. He has been a Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court employee for almost 15 years and works as the juvenile detention alternative initiative coordinator. Billups is “heavily engaged” with youth mental health programs and violence interruption work, according to the release. He will fill Hudnall’s vacant seat and finish the term on June 30, 2027.
Jones is a civic leader focused on social change and education. The Shaw High School graduate has been a Cleveland-area pastor for 32 years. He currently leads the congregation at Grace Missionary Baptist Church in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. Jones will fill Link’s vacant seat, expiring on June 30, 2027.
All three new board members have children who currently attend or have previously attended CMSD schools.
CMSD has an unelected school board. Candidates are selected by an 11-member volunteer nominating panel and appointed by the mayor. The new appointees were chosen from a pool of 42 applicants.
As the school district’s governing body, the CMSD Board of Education is tasked with setting policy, approving the budget, and establishing district goals and accountability standards. The nine-member Board appoints the district’s chief executive officer with the mayor’s concurrence. The Board also promotes parent, family, and community involvement.
Bibb’s announcement follows the successful passage of a 10-year school district operating levy in November. Issue 49 was overwhelmingly approved by 66% of voters.
Peak and Billups were sworn in on Dec. 4 and made brief remarks following the ceremony.
Peak said there are “plenty of opportunities now” with artificial intelligence and new technology. But she believes in “going back to some of the basics” and “realizing that all of us learn in different ways. So there has to be multiple ways of educating, not only our children, but our communities.”
In the future, Billups said he sees CMSD schools being compared to the “best schools” in the state—both public and private. “I see us being at the top.”
Jones was sworn in on Dec. 9.
