In the heated race for four seats on the Akron Public Schools’ Board of Education, the final campaign finance filings before Election Day reveal that seven candidates raised nearly $60,000 in donations. (The Summit County Board of Elections does not list the final filings for incumbent Diana Autry).
While the election is nonpartisan, meaning party labels are not included for each of the eight candidates on the ballot, the campaign finance filings generally correlate to the personal political leanings of the candidates. In a city that overwhelmingly votes for Democrats, the registered Democrats on the ballot overwhelmingly outraised the registered Republicans.
Candidate Phil Montgomery, a registered Democrat, reported more than $20,000 in donations in his latest filings, more than double the next highest fundraiser, Democrat Nathan Jarosz, who raised more than $10,000.
The two lowest fundraisers are both registered Republicans. Cynthia Blake reported $975 in donations, including $100 from former Republican state representative Kevin Coughlin, who challenged Emilia Sykes for the 13th District’s U.S. congressional seat last year. Carla Jackson, the current school board president, reported $3,256. Both received donations from the chair of the local Moms For Liberty group.
Signal Akron mapped the addresses listed with each of the 316 donations reported by the seven candidates who submitted records. The map shows a large cluster of donors on the west side of Akron.
More than 100 donations came from outside the district. Candidate Karmaya Kelly has more donors with Columbus addresses (seven) than with Akron addresses (five). All but four of incumbent Gregory Harrison’s 37 donors have Akron addresses, and all but one of Blake’s 11 donors have Akron addresses.
The biggest spenders in the school board race are organizations, not people. The Akron Teachers PAC dished out $3,000 each to Jarosz, Kelly and Montgomery — the teachers’ union also gave $3,000 to Harrison. The next biggest spender is the Summit County Progressive Democrats, which gave $1,000 to Montgomery, Kelly and Harrison, and $1,150 to Jarosz.
Only three current APS board members donated to candidates for this race. Bruce Alexander gave $100 to Gwen Bryant’s campaign, Rene Molenaur gave $100 to Harrison’s campaign and $50 to Jarosz’s campaign and Barbara Sykes gave $100 to both Harrison’s campaign and Jarosz’s.
Reported campaign donations to Akron Public Schools’ school board candidates
Phil Montgomery – $20,790
Nathan Jarosz – $10,320
Gwen Bryant – $8,366
Gregory Harrison – $7,530
Karmaya Kelly – $6,555
Carla Jackson – $3,256
Cynthia Blake – $975
Editor’s note: Akron school board candidate Diana Autry did not file her campaign finance report by the October 23 deadline.
Donations to Akron Board of Education candidates not currently on the board
Candidate: Gwen Bryant (registered Democrat)
Amount reported: $8,366
Total contributors: 59
Outside-of-Akron donations: 17
- Ohio: 12 • Aurora, Bratenahl, Cleveland, Copley (x2), Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn (x3), Medina, Wadsworth
- Other states: 5 • Alabama, Indiana, Rhode Island, Texas (x2)
Largest donors:
- $1,000 – Eric Jones
- $500 – Cynthia Powers, a resident of Valparaiso, Indiana
- $500 – Sarah Rossi, an Akron attorney
- $500 – Stacey Hodoh, APS communications director
Other notable donations:
- $150 – Kimberly Moses, Akron Children’s chief legal officer
- $100 – Cazzell Smith, former Summit County Council representative
- $100 – Bruce Alexander, APS board member
- $100 – David James, Summit Education Initiative executive director and former APS superintendent
Candidate: Cynthia Blake (registered Republican)
Amount reported: $975
Total contributors: 11
Outside-of-Akron donations:
- Ohio: 1 • Stow
- Other states: 0
Largest donors:
- $200 – Carl Blake, whose lives in a home owned by Cynthia Blake
- $200 – Margaret Briem, Summit County chair of Moms for Liberty
Other notable donations:
- $100 – Kevin Coughlin, former Republican state representative and 2024 candidate for U.S. Congress
- $30 – Summit County Republican Party
Candidate: Karmaya Kelly (not registered to a political party)
Amount reported: $6,555
Total contributors: 23
Outside-of-Akron donations: 18
- Ohio: 15 • Cleveland, Columbus (x7), Hudson, Lewis Center, Macedonia, New Franklin (x2), Orient, Reynolds
- Other states: 3 • Georgia, Kentucky, Texas
Largest donors:
- $3,000 – Akron Teachers PAC
- $1,000 – Summit County Progressive Democrats
- $500 – Cheryl Stephens, East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. chief operating officer
Other notable donations:
- $200 – Rita Darrow (campaign committee), Summit County Council
- $100 – LEAD OH, a Columbus-based PAC that supports progressive candidates from “underserved and underrepresented” communities
- $10 – Noelle Bowman, Indivisible Akron founder
Candidate: Phil Montgomery (registered Democrat)
Amount reported: $20,790
Total contributors: 91
Outside-of-Akron donations: 28
- Ohio: 27 • Auburn Township, Barberton, Cleveland Heights, Columbus, Copley (x3), Cuyahoga Falls (x7), Fairlawn (x3), Hudson (x3), Kent, New Franklin, Northfield, Solon, Tallmadge
- Other states: 2 • Florida, Pennsylvania
Largest donors:
- $3,000 – Akron Teachers PAC
- $1,000 – Michelle Krocker
- $1,000 – Carol Dezso, retired Summit County Domestic Relations Court judge
- $1,000 – Summit County Progressive Democrats
- $1,000 – Heather Heslop Licata
Other notable donations:
- $750 – Ilene Shapiro (campaign committee), Summit County Executive
- $515.38 – Sophie Albrecht, former APS board member
- $515.38 – Christine Mayer, GAR Foundation president
- $500 – Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs (PAC), an Akron law firm
- $200 – Cheryl Stephens, East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. chief operating officer
- $154.97 – Dave Lieberth, Akron historian
- $103.48 – David James, Summit Education Initiative executive director and former APS superintendent
- $116.87 – Job Esau Perry, lawyer and former Akron school board member
- $100 – Don Plusquellic, former Akron mayor
- $100 – Kani Hightower, Summit County Domestic Relations Court judge
- $100 – Jennifer Towell, Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
- $100 – Casey Weinstein, state senator
- $100 – Elinore Marsh Stormer, Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
- $100 – Eliott Kolkovich, Summit County prosecutor
Candidate: Nathan Jarosz (registered Democrat)
Amount reported: $10,320
Total contributors: 52
Outside-of-Akron donations: 15
- Ohio: 14 • Cuyahoga Falls, Eastlake, Hudson, Macedonia, Munroe Falls, New Franklin, Northfield (x2), Sagamore Hills, Solon, Stow, Tallmadge, Uniontown, Youngstown
- Other states: 1 • New York
Largest donors:
- $3,000 – Akron Teachers PAC
- $1,150 – Summit County Progressive Democrats
- $1,000 – Elizabeth Bartz, State and Federal Communications Inc. president and CEO
- $1,000 – Roger Read, philanthropist
Other notable donations:
- $100 – Ilene Shapiro (campaign), Summit County executive
- $100 – David James, Summit Education Initiative executive director and former APS superintendent
- $100 – Job Esau Perry, lawyer and former Akron school board member
- $100 – Barbara Sykes, APS board member
- $100 – John and Tavia Galonski. Tavia is the Summit County clerk of courts, John is a chief assistant prosecutor for Summit County
- $100 – Rita Darrow, Summit County Council
- $100 – Kandy Fatheree, Summit County sheriff
- $50 – Jan Davis, Akron City Council member
- $50 – Jennifer Towell, Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
- $50 – Rene Molenaur, APS board member
- $50 – Fran Wilson, Akron Ward 1 City Council candidate
Donations to Akron Board of Education candidates — incumbents
Candidate: Carla Jackson (registered Republican)
Amount reported: $3,256
Total contributors: 43 named donors and at least unnamed 15 donors who each gave $25 or less in cash
Outside-of-Akron donations:
- Ohio: 18 • Barberton, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Copley (x3), Cuyahoga Falls, Euclid, Fairlawn, Maple Heights, Northfield, South Euclid, Stow, Streetsboro, Tallmadge (x3), Warrensville Heights
- Other states: 1 • California
Largest donors:
- $200 – Margaret Briem, Summit County chair of Moms for Liberty
- $150 – Jayne Rine, listed as an employee at Emmanuel Christian Academy, Jackson’s employer.
Other notable donations:
- $50 – Angela Carter, manager of recruitment and retention for APS
- $50 – Towanda Mullins, chair of the Sojourner Truth Project
- $50 – Gloria Rodgers, member of the Ohio Board of Education and former Republican member on Summit County Council
- $50 – Russel Neal (campaign committee), former Akron City Council member
- $100 – Job Esau Perry, lawyer and former Akron school board member
- $100 – Katona West, operations director for the Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy
- $100 – Ken Palik, listed as an employee at Emmanuel Christian Academy, Jackson’s employer
- $50 – Vickie Person, dean of students at Case Elementary CLC
Candidate: Gregory Harrison (registered Democrat)
Amount reported: $7,530
Total contributors: 37
Outside-of-Akron donations:
- Ohio: 4 • North Canton, Canton, Hudson, New Franklin
- Other states: 0
Largest donors:
- $3,000 – Akron Education Association, the union representing APS teachers
- $1,000 – Summit County Progressive Democrats
- $767 – Carla Chapman, APS administrator
- $500 – Valarie & Brad McKitrick. Valarie is a former APS board member and Brad is an Akron CIty County member
- $500 – Thomas Koutnik, philanthropist
Other notable donations:
- $150 – Veronica Sims (campaign committee), state representative
- $100 – Phil Montgomery (campaign committee), also a candidate for the APS board
- $100 – John and Tavia Galonski. Tavia is the Summit County clerk of courts, John is a chief assistant prosecutor for Summit County
- $100 – Barbara and Vernon Sykes. Barbara is an APS board member, Vernon is a retired state senator
- $100 – Rene Molenaur, APS board member
- $100 – Yamani Adkins, former APS human resources director
- $100 – Joy Malek Oldfield, Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
- $100 – Jennifer Towell, Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
- $100 – Russel Neal, former Akron City Council member
Candidate: Diana Autry (registered Democrat)
Autry did not file the campaign finance disclosure.