The first in what may be a series of cuts to Akron Public Schools’ budget passed Monday evening.
Akron Board of Education members approved $11 million in reductions to the upcoming school year’s budget, with Rene Molenaur, the board’s vice president, the sole dissenting vote.
The cuts, including $1.6 million in staff reductions, have been discussed for months as the district tries to right-size its budget for the upcoming school year.
School board member seeks additional information
Molenaur said she could not support eliminating student-facing positions such as six deans who act as assistant principals — and other roles included in the cuts — without additional information she previously requested.
Last week, Molenaur introduced a resolution to shape the information provided to the board ahead of further budget reductions. That policy, if approved, would require the district to provide a breakdown of the rationale behind staffing reductions and impacts on class size, instruction and other student services.
The motion was sent to the Finance and Capital Management Committee for further discussion.
Community continues to support APS staff impacted by cuts
During public comment, Pfeiffer Elementary’s family liaison, Shanan Painter, and Case Community Learning Center parent Abigail Drennen expressed concerns about cutting dean positions.
Board member Summer Hall echoed their concerns, noting APS is “top-heavy” with spending on district-level administrators while cutting roles that interact directly with students.
Superintendent Mary Outley said there is a plan to support the remaining deans and building principals once the reductions are in place.
Cutting positions not an easy vote, members say
The reductions approved Monday were not easy, board member Nathan Jarosz said, but they were necessary.
He said when the administration first sent suggestions of reductions to the board, 36 positions were slated for elimination. The resolution approved Monday eliminated 17 positions, with many impacted staffers able to apply for open positions within the district.
“If we don’t come to that acceptance and decide to make that decision, we are one step closer to the state making those decisions for us,” Jarosz said, referencing a looming $37 deficit projected for the 2028-29 school year.
Board member Greg Harrison said the decision is not one members take lightly. He said they kept an eye on spending the money the district has wisely — while knowing further cuts are coming and a new tax levy may be difficult to pass.
Board delays contract with management firm for North High School project
While the school board reluctantly moved forward with the $11 million budget reduction, members put a contract for a construction management at risk service for construction of North High School on hold with a 2-5 vote.
A construction management at risk contractor oversees projects and assumes the liability that work will be completed within a maximum price.
Akron Public Schools solicited bids for CMR firms. The highest ranking bid came from C.T. Taylor, the firm overseeing the Pfeiffer Elementary/Miller-South School project, which is underway. But board members raised concerns that C.T. Taylor was not affiliated with local unions, questioned if the firm could simultaneously handle both school projects and were troubled that the building cost for the Kenmore schools had risen since the district contracted with the firm.
Voting against the contract were Hall, Harrison, Jarosz, Molenaur and Karmaya Kelly. Voting for it were Board President Barbara Sykes and member Phil Montgomery.
The new North High School is an $85 million project expected to house 1,100 students and open within the next four years.
After the board’s vote, Debra Foulk, executive director of business affairs, said the bid process would restart.
