Akron Public Schools reorganization plan cuts $24 million, 285 positions by July 1

Akron Public Schools administrators are proposing $24 million in cuts ahead of next year, including the elimination of 285 positions across the district.

Of the 285 positions, which represent just over 6% of staff in the district, about 170 will be reductions of people currently in jobs. The rest of the cuts will be achieved through attrition.

The Akron Education Association, which represents teachers and tutors, is losing about 200 positions, including 66.5 classroom jobs, 58 non-classroom jobs and 77 noncertified substitute teachers. Many of those substitute teachers were hired using stimulus dollars that will be expiring. The district will still have tutors funded through federal Title 1 dollars.

Superintendent Michael Robinson said the goal was to preserve as much classroom instruction as possible.

"The goal is to make sure that's the place we touch last," Robinson said.

The superintendent and his human capital department team presented the "Fiscal Reorganizational & Restructuring Plan" to the board's finance and capital management committee.

The full school board will vote Monday on the reductions in force. After that, employees will receive notice if they are impacted by the cuts. Employees could still be recalled later if enough people leave the district voluntarily or if enrollment shifts.

The $24 million was a higher number than had previously been shared publicly. Robinson had said he would "strive" to cut at least $15 million, which is about 4% of the district's budget.

Robinson said Monday that $15 million was the minimum for cuts, and they were not dependent on whether the district passes a levy.

"With or without a levy, we still may have to come back and make additional cuts," he said.

Class sizes may increase, he said, "and to the maximum, perhaps, if we are not able to get a levy."

The list of proposed cuts includes 16 administrators, although it's not clear if those are building administrators or central office staff. The list also includes 11 custodial, maintenance or transportation workers and 15 clerical or support positions.

Akron Education Association President Pat Shipe said the large number of cuts within the teacher's union was a concern.

"I am concerned with the amount of cuts made to AEA members and and teachers that directly affects student, and the very sparse cuts that are not even over all the bargaining units," she said. "Not that I want to see any of them cut, I want to make make it very clear, but it seems to be disproportionate."

Shipe said the impact would be larger class sizes for Akron students. And for employees, she said, it's already mid-May and they don't know if they will have a job in July.

"I'm concerned that it's at the last minute again, like so many things that are presented to the board," Shipe said. "When you have to notify people, these are employees, they have families, they're employees of the board. And they still have not been notified [in] the middle of May when there are major decisions that they have to be making."

From a dollar standpoint, departments that will see cuts over $1 million include College and Career Academies, the office of school improvement, curriculum and instruction, the office of special education, talent and organizational development, and student services. Safety and security will be cut by almost $500,000. The district has not yet named specific programs that will see reductions.

Robinson said his team "left no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure fiscal stability and operational efficiency."

"I tasked my team with conducting a comprehensive review, but also looking closer at what is working and what needs adjustments," Robinson said. "We have carefully evaluated what is working well, identified areas needing improvement and areas that we can no longer financially afford to continue. While these decisions are difficult, they are essential to ensure the ongoing progress of our school district."

The school board already committed to making the cuts in concept, approving a five-year forecast to submit to the state that promised to make the trims before the next fiscal year begins July 1.

Robinson has also previously said this would be the first of likely several rounds of cuts over the next two to four years in the district, which is facing declining enrollment and also the drop-off of federal stimulus dollars from the pandemic, which end in September. The district has also gone 12 years without passing a levy, despite inflation and new labor contracts that have increased costs. The state legislature also has not committed to fully implementing its new funding formula, which allocates more money to high-need districts like Akron over a period of years.

Monday's presentation also includes "over-staffing," additional, unplanned expenditures added to the budget in the last year and "too large of a facilities footprint."

The board has been weighing a levy request, possibly on the November ballot. But board members have also talked honestly about needing to rebuild trust in the community ahead of such an ask. Transparency, they have said, will be key to that trust.

Despite it being a committee meeting, which does not usually include public comment, the board took comments at the end of the presentation Monday, although those who spoke were there to do so on another topic.

Midway through the meeting, board members walked out of the room in a group because of a concern they had too many members present for a committee meeting. Reporters walked with the board members to where they gathered in a back room to speak with an attorney, although they had not declared a need for an executive session.

The board members permitted reporters to speak with the attorney, who explained the possible issue of having too many board members could be that it becomes a quorum for a regular meeting, and action could be taken in violation of Open Meetings Act law. No action was taken at the meeting, which resumed after board members appeared to decide the meeting could continue as is.

Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Public Schools plan cuts $24 million, 285 positions by July 1