June 17 Finance Committee and Legal, Contracts & Policy Committee meetings
Covered by Documenter Wittman Sullivan (see his notes here) (and a Twitter thread here)
Legal, Contracts & Policy Committee meeting
At the Board of Education Legal, Contracts and Policy Committee meeting on June 17, board members got an update on the proposed Akron Schools social media policy from Labor Relations Director Michael Defibaugh.
This policy specifically relates to employees running district social media channels, not their own accounts. However, if someone identifies themselves as a district employee on their social platforms and posts something harmful to the district, there could be consequences, Defibaugh said.
The policy regulates three areas: It tasks the director of communications with overseeing all social media across the district, regulates the usage of district channels by authorized users, and identifies which comments can be deleted under the First Amendment.
The policy was moved to the agenda of the next regular board meeting on June 24. At that meeting, the board suspended the rules and voted 6-1 in favor of the new policy.
Volunteer chaperones may need to pay background check fee
Also at the committee meeting, Chief of Staff Angela Carter discussed requiring background checks for school trip chaperones, saying the volunteer is required to pay the $46 fee. This would be for all “non-employee volunteer chaperones,” according to Carter.
Board members Diana Autry and Carla Jackson expressed concern about the fee and asked whether a fund could be started to help pay it.
“Sometimes that’s all someone might have to give is their time,” Autry said about establishing a fund.
Carter said she would speak with the treasurer about extra funds, and Jackson recommended the PTA try to establish a fundraiser.
The full board voted at their June 24 meeting in favor of this policy.
Watch the Legal, Contracts & Policy Committee meeting.
Finance & Capital Management Committee
After advertising for bids for its van services, Akron Public Schools received 15 proposals — seven of which were from minority-owned businesses. One is from a woman-owned business, according to school officials.
District officials and school board members talked about these potential vendors at the June 17 Board of Education Finance Committee meeting. Currently, the district works with nearly 150 drivers on an independent contractor basis. They provide transportation services to nearly 1,200 eligible students throughout the school year.
During the 2023-24 school year, APS used two firms in addition to the independent contractors — KBT Transit LLC and UTC Trans LLC — to help provide transportation during what the district deemed an emergency situation to fulfill all students’ needs. Read more here.
APS recommends woman-owned company
Transportation Services Coordinator Justin Miller and Purchasing Services Manager Jim Leonard spoke to committee members and asked that the board approve their vendor recommendation at the next board meeting.
Read more here about the full board’s discussion on this topic at the June 24 board meeting.
At the June 17 committee meeting, school board members Barbara Sykes and Rene Molenaur both asked questions about independent van drivers who previously appeared before the board and who had expressed concerns about losing their contracts with the district. Molenaur said she had received a packet of information from the drivers and asked for a comparison of the figures they provided with the expected costs of a potential new vendor.
None of the current independent contractors applied, Miller said.
Leonard and Miller asked the board to approve the woman-owned business.
“We’ll be able to service all students with one central, consistent vendor,” Miller said.
The selected vendor, he said, not only provided a “competitive rate but offered comprehensive services and met the district’s supplier diversity goal of being a woman-based enterprise.”
Van service provided for special needs and unhoused students
The goal is to have a vendor in place by July 29, when van services begin. Miller said the contract covers the 2024-2025 school year and the bid amount fits within the amount budgeted for van services.
APS provides van service to unhoused students, children with special needs and sports teams.
Following Ohio Revised Code, APS is responsible for driving students to private charter schools they attend if they are within 30 minutes of their assigned public school. Miller said the district pays for this service.
Watch the Finance Committee meeting.
