A move to eliminate several administrative, teaching and support staff positions from Akron Public Schools is on hold.
Akron Board of Education members split 5-2 on the issue at Monday’s meeting, with only President Barbara Sykes and member Phil Montgomery, supporting the resolutions.
The staff reductions have been in discussion for months as part of $11 million in cuts to help right-size the district’s budget in the upcoming school year.
Rene Molenaur, board vice president, agreed reductions are needed, but said she has yet to see a report from the district outlining what cuts were considered outside of student-facing roles.
“Reductions in force are always difficult decisions, so because of that, it’s especially important that the community can be confident that when the board takes action, it’s based on a clear evaluation of available options — including the impact on student-facing and non-student-facing roles,” Molenaur said during the meeting. “Without that, I do not have sufficient basis to support the resolution.”
Other board members followed suit.
Akron Public Schools faces a looming $37 million deficit for the 2028-29 school year, according to its most recent financial forecast. Every year leading up to it, it is spending more money than it receives in state and local funding — necessitating further cuts beyond next school year.
On Monday, members spoke not against the need for budget cuts, but the information provided and process put to the board.
Board member Gregory Harrison said he was prepared to vote for the full $11 million in reductions, but did not support approving only job cuts.
“I think the board has to look at what we are doing as a whole,” Harrison said. “… I don’t think that from an administration point you can add $9.4 million to the budget, so I would say you cannot subtract $9.4 million from the budget without a board vote.”
The reductions before the board on Monday would have cut six dean positions, which act as assistant principals at middle and elementary buildings, and eliminated six paraprofessionals, four library technicians and an art therapist.
Staff impacted by the cuts would have had the opportunity to apply for other open positions within the district that matched their credentials. For example, of the 10 paraprofessionals — which includes library technicians — there are 50 district openings for individuals with that certification.
Other cuts proposed by the administration included supply and textbook costs, leaving vacancies unfilled and moving contracted services in-house.
Sykes says Akron school board’s delay not ideal
During the meeting, Sykes disagreed with her board and told those who felt they had not received information to get their requests to the superintendent.
“If you are looking for an analysis and you are not able to understand or appreciate the analysis the administration has brought to you, then please provide the analysis yourself,” Sykes said. “I know that you are intelligent enough to do that.”
She said the district has promised $11 million in cuts to the state auditor, and could face repercussions if it does not deliver those reductions.
After the meeting, Sykes said the delay was not ideal.
“We want to be able to say to those staff people that these are the positions, there will be enough positions for individuals to apply for and give them the opportunity to apply for those positions,” she said.
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Fair school funding remains superintendent’s focus
Superintendent Mary Outley said her administration will work with school board members to ensure they are comfortable with proposed reductions ahead of future votes.
“I want the board to be comfortable so they feel they have the knowledge they need to move forward,” Outley said.
Individual union contracts outline the way reductions must occur, including the amount of notice given to impacted staff.
Outley said the district must submit a financial update to the state in June.
“I want to make sure that we keep our focus on fair school funding,” Outley said, noting the district would not be in its current financial situation if the state provided adequate funding to public education.
State funding for public schools is one of Outley’s priorities, as outlined last month in her State of the Akron Public Schools speech.
Public school funding has long been a political issue in Ohio, which saw its funding system declared unconstitutional nearly 30 years ago. The Fair School Funding plan, first approved by state legislators in 2021, was meant to rectify the issue and provide more equitable funding for schools long found to be too reliant on local property taxes.
In the most recent state budget, the mechanisms for determining how much each school received were not updated to take into account the rising costs for goods and services — including personnel costs — to educate students.
