It took about seven minutes on Friday evening for 112 employees at Akron Public Schools to rest easier.
They’re all employed again, now that the school board has rescinded a vote that ended dozens of contracts for the upcoming school year.
Three days earlier, members of the Akron Board of Education mistakenly voted 5-0 — with one abstention due to a conflict of interest — to not renew the employee contracts. The administrative jobs ranged from principals to an assistant superintendent.
Multiple board members as well as a district spokesperson told Signal Akron in the days after Tuesday’s meeting they were not aware the school board’s votes eliminated the jobs.
After Friday’s special board meeting, Board President Carla Jackson explained that, to her understanding, the contracts automatically renewed for one year.
Jackson said she originally voted no to allow for more time to reevaluate positions as the public school system continues its search for smart budget cuts. “Not understating that a vote no means that they would have to get a non-renewal letter if we did not take action,” she added. “Since we took action, that was the problem which led us here.”
Board member Summer Hall said while she understood the importance of ensuring appropriate funding, her original vote of no stemmed from wanting new Superintendent Mary Outley to study the school district’s many departments in search of potential cuts or mergers.
“I don’t want anyone to lose their jobs,” Hall said. “Our children, that’s why we’re here, and we have to make sure that we’re serving them so that our classrooms are not overcrowded.
“Because when they’re overcrowded, nobody can really learn.”
Absent from Friday evening’s special board meeting were Gregory Harrison, Rene Molenaur and Barbara Sykes.