Akron Public Schools’ budget is better off than predicted.
A preliminary update to the school district’s financial forecast shows it could face an $8.5 million budget shortfall for the 2028-29 school year — compared to the $37.1 million previously predicted when APS submitted its forecast to the state in February.
Akron Public Schools, alongside many other public school systems in the state, face financial hurdles due to shrinking enrollment and an outdated state funding formula.
In Akron, the financial change, Treasurer Wayne Bowers said, is two-fold.
APS ended the 2025-26 school year carrying over $2.9 million — thanks to a $4.5 million increase in tax revenues and a $4 million decrease in predicted expenses, Bowers said during an Akron Board of Education retreat on Saturday.
And APS now expects to spend significantly less from its cash reserves in 2026-27 than it projected just a few months ago.
That change in spending is, in part, due to a shift in the timeline for $11 million in general fund money needed for the Pfeiffer/Miller South construction project and lower anticipated costs for van transportation due to a lone service provider.
Previous financial forecast painted more challenging scenario
In February, Bowers originally predicted spending $27 million against the schools’ cash balance for the 2026-27 school year. The update showed that the deficit may only be about $7.3 million due in part to a change.
The new Kenmore neighborhood campus, a $76 million project, is expected to open for the 2028-29 school year. Its funding is split among a $43 million loan, $21 million in locally funded initiative money, and general fund dollars. Bowers said the need for general fund money has been delayed by two years.
The general fund costs for Pfeiffer/Miller South could be financed, Bowers said, breaking up the expense over a longer period rather than a large one-time transaction.
The district is still projected to spend against its cash balance every year — from
$7.3 million for the upcoming school year to $90.7 million for 2030-31, which could bring a shortfall of more than $170 million by the end of that year.
Stemming that bleeding, Bowers said, will still require budget cuts.
That could mean making budget cuts to eliminate $34 million in deficit spending expected over the next two years. Specifics of those cuts were not discussed on Saturday, but resizing the district’s footprint through consolidations has been alluded to in prior meetings and in Bowers’ recent evaluation.
The financial forecast presented Saturday will be updated prior to its submission to the state, Bowers said.
Administrators’ goals include keeping budget in check, improving reading scores
Goals for Superintendent Mary Outley and Bowers for the upcoming school year were up for debate at Saturday’s meeting.
The board gave both administrators glowing reviews in evaluations released July 17, noting Outley made satisfactory progress toward her goals throughout the 2025-26 school year.
The next step is for members to set benchmarks for the pair for the upcoming school year. In broad strokes, those goals will include plans to continue reductions to the district’s operating budget.
Outley is also charged with improving third-grade literacy, a goal that was marked as “in progress” in her evaluation.
Preliminary state testing data included in her evaluation showed a 3 percentage point increase in third-grade reading proficiency as of the spring — from 39 percent in 2025 to 42 percent in 2026. Outley’s initial goal for that school year was a 4 percentage point increase.
District building projects also fall under Outley’s purview, with board members expecting consistent updates from the superintendent.
Bowers’ goals include moving APS employees to bimonthly pay cycles and determining whether the district should stay with its current accounting software or move to a new vendor.
