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Board votes on personnel slate amid debate; treasurer reappointment fails after executive session
Summary
The Akron Public Schools board on May 27 debated a wide personnel slate, pulled two items for separate handling and—after executive session—voted down the superintendent’s reappointment recommendation for the treasurer (item 10.9).
The Akron Public Schools board addressed a wide-ranging personnel slate during its May 27 meeting, advancing many recommendations while pulling certain items for separate action and executive-session review.
Superintendent Otley asked the board to correct an administrative error and remove the treasurer from a list of administrative reappointments, noting the treasurer’s contract is handled directly between the board and the treasurer. Member Harrison moved to move item 10.9 (the employment matters the superintendent referred to) to executive session, and the motion carried with five yes votes and one abstention.
During public comment and board discussion, several speakers urged the board to reconsider reductions tied to student programs. Raylyn Davisow, a job-training coordinator, warned recommended eliminations would reduce Job Training Coordinator staffing from seven to five and said the change would create unsafe ratios for students in community job settings. “If we drop to 5 JTCs, our ratio would jump to 28 students per JTC,” Davisow said, citing state guidance on staffing ratios for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
After executive session, the full board reconvened and took a separate vote on the reappointment recommendations in item 10.9. The resolution to accept the reappointments in 10.9 failed on a roll-call vote (0–5, with one abstention). Board minutes show the vote counts and that several board members expressed procedural objections to how the slate was presented and asked for more data and a staffing audit before permanent reductions are finalized.
Earlier in the meeting the board removed a particular teacher consultant position (21.4, the 1–8 licensed teacher consultant and associated staff) from the RIF list after discussion and public comment; the remainder of the personnel slate for categories 10 through 21.5 (other than the treasurer item and that teacher-consultant item) moved forward and was approved by the board in the meeting’s consent agenda. The record shows some individual line items in the RIF resolution drew specific no votes, and the board clarified which names remained on RIF lists.
Board members said they will continue to discuss staffing and budget trade-offs in finance committee and to examine programmatic impacts before additional cuts or RIFs are finalized. Several board members expressed concern about the process and urged additional data and a staffing audit before implementing further reductions.
No final list of all affected employees was adopted at the May 27 meeting; administration said it will provide further clarifications to the finance committee and return revised recommendations as needed.
