The Akron Board of Education again delayed a vote on its redistricting plan Monday. Board Member Barbara Sykes said she thought the late decision to pull the matter from the agenda was handled “illegally.”
Sykes said she did not know the redistricting proposal, which was due for a vote after a decision was delayed two weeks ago, had been removed from consideration before the start of the meeting. Members of the media received an email less than an hour before the 5:30 p.m. board meeting began that stated the vote would not be held.
“I still think that it is in violation of our open records, it’s in violation of our open meetings, it’s in violation of Sunshine Law,” Sykes told the board about the removal of the redistricting plan. “I think that it has been handled inappropriately and illegally.”
Diana Autry, the board president, said in an interview after the meeting that a decision was made to delay the vote because the district wanted to make sure that it was following school board policy. She said she wanted to be in “proper order when we make this most important decision.”
“We just want to make sure we’re following our own policy,” she said. “We don’t want it to be fuzzy. We want it to be clear.”
She did not say what part of the policy was in question, but the board policy on redistricting, last revised in the fall of 2022, says the school board will hold a first reading of proposed changes no sooner than 30 days after a public notice is sent to the parents and guardians of every student in the district. That first reading is to be followed by two more readings prior to a vote.
Letter sent to district families Feb. 27
Superintendent Michael Robinson sent a letter to parents and guardians Feb. 27 detailing the plan. In a Feb. 26 statement, the district said the vote would take place within the week.
At Monday’s meeting, Robinson said the redistricting and restructuring plan would be back March 25, after going to a committee meeting. He did not say why, but said the decision had been made after talking to an attorney.
“There’s some discussion that we’re gonna have to have around the policy that the board has so that we’re able to move forward to get the work done,” he said.
Autry said the district’s legal counsel advised the board not to hold the scheduled vote on the proposal.
“If there’s any question at all, I’d rather take a chance and make sure we’re protected,” she said.
Sykes said the redistricting and restructuring plan is significant to the community and should not have been removed from consideration without an explanation. Carla Jackson, the board’s vice president, said board members received an email at 1:44 p.m. telling them of the decision.
Rene Molenaur, another board member, also said she had questions about the cost of potentially keeping some buildings open. As part of the proposal, Superintendent Michael Robinson has proposed keeping Essex and Stewart early learning centers open to house expanded pre-K programs, though the board agreed earlier to close those buildings.
Sykes said she thought the school board could have discussed the redistricting proposal, even if it didn’t come to a vote.
“I think the Sunshine Law’s a very important law, it’s a serious law,” she said. “We need to pay attention to it.”
Pat Shipe, president of the Akron Education Association, said she shared the concerns of board members who wanted more notice.
“Board members have raised legitimate concerns,” she said. “Hopefully, the board and administration will act with the transparency they so loudly claim that they have and give the public the information that they deserve.”
Among other changes, the redistricting and restructuring plan would close Firestone Park Elementary School, redistributing students there to other elementary schools, and move STEM High School to Robinson Community Learning Center, sending its students to other schools. It would also ease overcrowding at Harris-Jackson CLC.
