Akron Public Schools meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Akron school board to consider new hires, salary revisions at Aug. 10 meeting

The Akron Board of Education held several committee and regular meetings over the past two weeks, but none resulted in votes or decisions. All recent meetings were agenda-only, with minutes not yet published. The board's next regular meeting, scheduled for Aug. 10, will consider a consent agenda that includes new teacher hires, salary revisions, and other personnel actions.

Recent meetings

July 27 – Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee Special Meeting

The committee discussed the i-Ready and mCLASS (DIBELS) reading assessments as an information item. No votes or decisions were scheduled.

July 27 – Regular Board Meeting

The agenda included approval of the June 2026 Financial Report, the retirement of Clara Copeland (Academy Principal HS at Firestone CLC), employment of 20 professional staff members with salaries ranging from $48,967.10 to $102,064.70, resignations of 11 professional and administrative staff members, and leaves of absence for Melissa Billington and Jamie Neal. No action was taken.

Aug. 3 – Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee Meeting

The committee approved minutes from the July 6 meeting and discussed curriculum and instruction updates, instructional personnel and professional learning initiatives, data and assessment measures, and a request for a future agenda item on how Ohio's voucher programs affect Akron Public Schools.

Aug. 3 – Policy Committee Meeting

The committee reviewed draft policies 6320 (Purchasing and Bidding), 3139 (Administrative Leave), and 9130 (Public Complaints). It also approved minutes from the June 1 and June 12 policy committee meetings.

Aug. 3 – Rules Committee Meeting

The committee approved minutes from the July 20 meeting and reviewed personnel recommendations across multiple divisions, including treasurer, professional staff, paraprofessionals, child nutrition, maintenance/operations/transportation, security, tutors, substitute teachers, and support staff. The meeting was procedural with no substantive decisions listed.

Upcoming: Aug. 10 Regular Board Meeting

The board will hold a regular meeting today, Aug. 10, with a consent agenda that includes approval of minutes from the July 25 and July 27 meetings. Personnel actions on the agenda include:

• New teacher hires for 2026-2027 with salaries: Haley Ciarlariello $48,967.10, James Harris $75,555.75, Allison Klein $72,894.38, Ryan Logan $48,967.10, Felicia Mercado $66,721.59, Samantha Pixler $48,967.10
• Salary revisions: Steven Kreiner from $60,985.10 to $83,407.62, Anna Everly from $76,340.79 to $83,407.62
• Employment of administrative specialists: John Dawson $56.97/hr, Julia Mann and Megan Mannion $431.14/day
• Reappointment of ESL teachers (Title III and Refugee School Impact Grant) at $37.98/hr

The meeting is primarily procedural, with no major policy decisions or public hearings listed.

Coming up

The Aug. 10 regular board meeting is the only upcoming meeting listed in the next 14 days. Residents interested in the personnel actions or other board business may attend or review the agenda online.

Akron Public Schools committees weigh transportation contracts, personnel moves, and FY2027 goals

Akron Public Schools held a series of committee and board meetings in late July covering student transportation contracts, fiscal year 2027 goal-setting, personnel changes, and reading assessments. All four meetings have agendas available but minutes have not yet been published, so outcomes of proposed actions cannot be confirmed.

Parent transportation contracts on the table

The Rules Committee met July 20 with a resolution to authorize contracts with parents for transporting their children at a rate of $636.75 per student for the 2026-2027 school year. The agenda also included approval of previous committee minutes, personnel recommendations across staff categories, discussion of resolutions and motions, and a public comment period. Minutes are not yet published, so it is not confirmed whether the transportation resolution was approved.

Board retreat sets direction for FY2027

The Board of Education held a special meeting July 25 for a retreat and orientation. The Superintendent and Treasurer were scheduled to present goals and objectives for the 2026-2027 school year. The meeting also included new board orientation presentations from district departments: Safety and Security, Communications, Academics, Business Affairs, Human Resources, and Technology. No votes were listed on the agenda.

Reading assessments discussed

The Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee held a special meeting July 27 to discuss and receive information on the i-Ready and mCLASS (DIBELS) assessment tools. The agenda specified no votes or decisions — the item was presented for informational purposes only.

June financial report and personnel changes

Also on July 27, the Board of Education met in regular session with the June 2026 financial report listed for approval. The agenda included several personnel items:

• Retirement of Clara Copeland, Academy Principal HS at Firestone CLC.
• Employment of 20 professional staff members with salaries ranging from $48,967.10 to $102,064.70.
• Resignations of 11 professional and administrative staff members.
• Leaves of absence for Melissa Billington and Jamie Neal.

Because minutes are not yet published, it is not confirmed which of these items were approved.

Coming up

Three committee meetings are scheduled for August 3, 2026:

• **Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee** — Will review curriculum and instruction updates, instructional personnel and professional learning initiatives, data and assessment measurements of student achievement, and a request for a future agenda item on how Ohio's voucher programs affect Akron Public Schools.
• **Policy Committee** — Will review draft Policy 6320 (Purchasing and Bidding), draft Policy 3139 (Administrative Leave), and draft Policy 9130 (Public Complaints), plus approve minutes from June 1 and June 12, 2026 meetings.
• **Rules Committee** — Meets at 6:30 p.m. in the board room to review personnel recommendations across multiple divisions and approve July 20, 2026 meeting minutes. No substantive decisions are listed.

Akron Schools Board approves consent agenda, appoints treasurer; construction contract vote delayed then addressed

Board appoints treasurer, delays construction vote

At a July 6 special board meeting, Akron Public Schools appointed Nathan Jarosz as Treasurer Pro Tempore on a 6-0 vote. The board then delayed a vote on GMP Amendment #2 to the C.T. Taylor construction contract, pushing it to the July 13 regular meeting after members raised legal and financial concerns. The board recessed into executive session to discuss security protocols (6-0) and adjourned at 8:21 PM (6-0).

July 13 regular meeting: consent agenda approved, construction and staffing actions

The board's July 13 regular meeting produced the most consequential decisions of the past two weeks. Members approved previous meeting minutes from June 22, July 1, and July 6, then approved the full consent agenda covering treasurer, personnel, division, and business affairs recommendations.

The board also addressed the Pfeiffer Miller South Construction Project GMP Amendment #2 — the same item delayed from July 6 — as well as McKinney-Vento job description revisions and a partial reduction in force for an Engagement Specialist. The minutes list these as action/information items but do not specify individual vote tallies for each.

Cancelled special meeting on subcontractor selection

A separate special board meeting scheduled for July 13 at 4:45 PM in the Board Room at 10 North Main Street was cancelled. That meeting had been called to publicly discuss subcontractor selection for a school building construction project and to consider a possible resolution on the guaranteed maximum price for the Pfeiffer/Miller South construction project.

Committee agendas: staffing, instruction, and contracts

Several committee meetings held July 6 and July 15 were conducted on an agenda-only basis, meaning minutes have not yet been published and no official actions are confirmed.

The Rules Committee on July 6 considered approval of June 15 minutes and discussed personnel recommendations across multiple categories — professional staff, administrators, substitute teachers, tutors, support staff, child nutrition, maintenance/operations/transportation, and security — along with business affairs recommendations and division resolutions.

The Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee on July 6 discussed an Online Hours Makeup Plan to recover time lost to school closures, which requires board approval by August 1. The committee also reviewed Ohio's voucher system and its impact on Akron Public Schools, received an update on the Firestone CLC IT & Cybersecurity Pathway of the KSU Academy of Advanced Technology & Engineering, discussed a new mCLASS Math contract for a state-approved K-3 math diagnostic assessment, and reviewed the proposed 2027-2028 school calendar for forwarding to the Rules Committee.

The Legal & Contracts Committee on July 15 reviewed multiple vendor contracts, including:

• Innovative Roofing Solutions: $844,583.00 (Betty Jane, David Hill, and Resnik CLCs)
• CDW Government LLC: $613,440.00
• Multiple Vendors (McKeon Education Group and PSI Associates, Inc.): $800,000.00
• Multiple Vendors (ABC Therapy, Ltd; Amergis Healthcare Staffing, Inc.; Flagstar Staffing Inc.; and Swallow & Speech Solutions, LLC): $525,000.00
• Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio: $155,000.00 and $309,328.84

These committee items are listed as discussion only; no board approvals are confirmed from the available records.

Coming up

Rules Committee Meeting — July 20, 2026: The committee will consider a resolution authorizing contracts with parents for transporting their children at a rate of $636.75 per student for the 2026-2027 school year. The agenda also includes personnel recommendations, approval of previous committee minutes, and a public comment period.

Akron school board appoints treasurer, delays construction contract vote

The Akron Public Schools Board of Education appointed Nathan Jarosz as Treasurer Pro Tempore and delayed a vote on a construction contract amendment during a pair of special meetings earlier this month, while committees reviewed an online calamity-day makeup plan, voucher impacts, and a new K-3 math diagnostic.

Treasurer appointed; construction vote delayed

At a July 6 special board meeting, the board voted 6-0 to appoint Nathan Jarosz as Treasurer Pro Tempore. The board also delayed a vote on GMP Amendment #2 to the C.T. Taylor construction contract, pushing the decision to the July 13 regular meeting after members raised legal and financial concerns. The board then recessed into executive session regarding security protocols (6-0) and adjourned at 8:21 PM (6-0).

A July 1 special board meeting consisted only of a recess into executive session (6-0) followed by adjournment (6-0). No other items were discussed or decided, according to the official minutes.

Committee reviews online makeup plan, vouchers, math diagnostic

The Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee met July 6 to discuss several items, most of which were informational and will move to other committees for action. Minutes have not yet been published; the following reflects the published agenda.

• **Online Hours Makeup Plan** — An alternative plan to make up hours lost due to school closure. The plan needs board approval by August 1.
• **Voucher discussion** — A review of Ohio's voucher system and its impacts on Akron Public Schools.
• **Firestone CLC pathway update** — An update on the IT & Cybersecurity Pathway of the KSU Academy of Advanced Technology & Engineering.
• **mCLASS Math** — A contract for a new State-approved K-3 math diagnostic assessment.
• **Proposed 2027-2028 school calendar** — Reviewed and moved to the Rules Committee.

Rules Committee considers personnel, business affairs

The Rules Committee also met July 6, with minutes not yet published. Per the agenda, the committee considered approval of previous minutes from June 15, 2026, and discussed personnel recommendations covering professional staff, administrators, substitute teachers, tutors, support staff, child nutrition, maintenance/operations/transportation, and security. Business affairs recommendations and division resolutions and motions were also on the agenda. No specific dollar amounts or project names were listed.

Coming up

The Board of Education holds its regular meeting July 13. The agenda includes:

• Employment of 13 professional staff members with salaries ranging from $29,151.34 to $75,555.75.
• Reinstatement of Anne Alexander as Art Teacher at an annual salary of $103,148.12.
• Approval of resignations for 14 professional staff members and 2 administrators.
• Funding assignments for six teachers under the Ohio Preschool Program and Early Childhood Special Education.
• Approval of meeting minutes from June 22, July 1, and July 6, 2026.

The delayed vote on GMP Amendment #2 to the C.T. Taylor construction contract is also expected to be taken up at the July 13 meeting.

Akron Schools Board Considers $681 Million Budget, Prepares for Construction and Policy Reviews

Akron Public Schools Board of Education was scheduled to consider final fiscal year 2026 appropriations totaling $681,002,101.24 across all funds during late June meetings, though minutes have not yet been published to confirm what was decided.

Recent Meetings

The Board of Education and its Special Finance and Capital Management Committee met on June 22, 2026. According to the published agendas, the committee was set to discuss final FY26 appropriations of $681,002,101.24. This included $394,581,270.26 for the General Fund, $62,081,480.35 for Special Revenue Funds, $15,777,505.67 for Debt Service, $102,363,697.11 for Capital Projects, $17,195,691.71 for Enterprise, $88,266,500.00 for Internal Service, and $735,956.14 for Fiduciary funds. Treasurer/CFO R. Wayne Bowers II was scheduled to present the finance updates, and public comment was offered at the start of the meeting.

The regular board meeting agenda for the same date listed final FY26 General Fund appropriations of $394,581,270.26, temporary FY27 General Fund appropriations for July through September, and cash transfers to the OFCC Maintenance, Unemployment, Liability Insurance, and Severance funds. The board was also scheduled to consider a proposed Artificial Intelligence policy (Policy 7540.09) and the May 2026 Financial Report (Resolution #26-099). The committee agenda noted temporary FY27 beginning appropriations of $97,500,000 for the General Fund for July–September 2026.

Because minutes for the June 22 meetings have not been published, it is not yet confirmed which items were approved or discussed.

On July 1, 2026, the Board held a special meeting to enter executive session under Ohio Revised Code 121.22(G)(1) for the end-of-year evaluation of the Superintendent and Treasurer/CFO. Minutes for this meeting are also not yet published.

Coming Up

Three meetings are scheduled for July 6, 2026.

The Board of Education will hold a special meeting to publicly discuss the selection of subcontractors for a school building construction project. The board will then convene in executive session to discuss security arrangements and emergency response protocols, with possible action to follow.

The Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee will review an Online Hours Makeup Plan to make up time lost to school closures, which requires board approval by August 1. The committee will also review Ohio's voucher system and its impact on Akron Public Schools, discuss a contract for the mCLASS Math diagnostic assessment for grades K-3, and review the proposed 2027-2028 school calendar to move it to the Rules Committee. An update on the Firestone CLC IT & Cybersecurity Pathway is also on the agenda.

The Rules Committee will consider approving minutes from June 15, 2026, and discuss personnel recommendations for professional staff, administrators, substitutes, tutors, support staff, child nutrition, maintenance, transportation, and security. The committee will also discuss business affairs recommendations and division resolutions.