Independent van drivers were again the subject of intense debate Monday night at the Akron Public Schools’ board meeting.
At the center of the discussion: an agenda item to transport a special education student to and from the Ohio State School for the Blind in Columbus. It marked one of several topics that sparked debate, addressed controversies or returned to a previous point of contention in a lengthy and at times testy board meeting.
The administration’s proposed $14,000 contract with Suburban Transportation Co. was stymied and eventually voted down after board members raised the issue of a policy recently implemented that made independent van drivers the priority hire for such cases.
Board member Barbara Sykes took particular issue with the provision, standing and addressing Superintendent Michael Robinson directly to remind him of the policies the board passes and the district’s responsibility to ensure they’re followed.
“When we voted and indicated that the independent contractors would be considered first, and the second contractor to be considered second, then I expect this to be followed,” Sykes said.
When asked if the administration had reached out to independent drivers first, officials said there was no time between the student’s enrollment in the school and their adherence to the state mandate to provide transportation.
“This is serious,” Sykes added. “When we pass resolutions here, this is our law. And I believe that it is being totally disregarded because you didn’t have the time.”
The agenda item failed, with board members Sykes, Rene Molenaur, Summer Hall and Vice President Carla Jackson voting no.
Administration attempts to hire new communications professional
Another point of contention during the board meeting was the administration’s proposed passage of a job description, a move that signals a future hire.
The position: executive director of strategic communications.
Molenaur raised questions about the cost of executive-level hires and their impact on the budget in a year when the district is seeking a levy and making cuts.
“Given our careful financial planning as we approach the levy, I would just appreciate if we could share some relevant budget information about all these,” Molenaur said.
Treasurer Steve Thompson said two executive-level hires would be expected to cost $400,000 per year or more, once benefits were included.
There was some initial confusion after Robinson said during his early remarks that they were seeking to add two executive-level positions, a director of communications and in-house legal counsel. On the board agenda, only the job description for the director of communications was present.
“How much money will this person get paid; what does this position do?” asked Molenaur.
Despite budget questions from Jackson and Molenaur, Robinson did not offer hard numbers about the expected compensation for the proposed communications position. Instead, he laid out why he feels the district needs an executive director of strategic communications.
“We need to be able to address how we’re painted in the media,” Robinson said. “We need to be sure that we can defend ourselves in the media.
“We have countless articles that are written daily. Whether we agree with them or not, we need to be able to defend that appropriately. We’re not always able to do that.”
Absent board president offers statement supporting superintendent
Board President Diana Autry, who was absent from the meeting due to illness, submitted a statement that Jackson read during the president’s report. In it, Autry voiced support for Robinson after questions arose in the press last week about his resume.
The accuracy of some sections of Robinson’s resume came up in a deposition conducted by the Akron Education Association during a since-dropped lawsuit against the district.
The statement read in part:
“We didn’t hire him to be best friends with anyone, but to lead, transform, and elevate APS to the next level. His work as a consultant, paid or not, was not the basis of his hiring, nor did it override his past and current work. We understand that his righteous work for our children is not easy, and it is why he has a five-year contract to demonstrate his leadership. … We don’t condone the recent bullying, personal attacks, criminalization tactics and the unfair press coverage meant to discredit our academic leader and in turn harm the district.”
