Fundraiser matched by Larry Nance Jr.; alumni and residents urge a Central Howard Hall of Fame room
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Summary
Superintendent Otley thanked West Akron Swinson's and NBA player Larry Nance Jr. for a fundraiser that raised $7,500 and school supplies. Public commenters asked the board to create an Akron Public Schools history room to display plaques and memorabilia.
The Akron Board of Education opened its Nov. 3 meeting with recognitions and public comment that highlighted community fundraising and requests to preserve district history.
Superintendent Otley told the board West Akron Swinson's Drive In donated 20% of event sales at a community fundraiser and that NBA player Larry Nance Jr. served curbside and matched part of the donation and associated school-supply drive. “The combined success of the fundraiser resulted in a cash donation of $7,500,” the superintendent said; supplies and the cash were delivered to district headquarters Oct. 28.
In public comment, Robert (Bob) Moore requested that his father Kenneth W. Moore’s principal’s award plaque be installed in a memorabilia room and offered to pay installation costs. Moore said the plaque had been mounted for decades at former Central Howard and STEM High and is now stored in the administration building; he urged the board to reinstall it for students to see.
Longtime teacher Betty Zager proposed a Central Howard Hall of Fame and an Akron Public Schools history room on the first floor of the administration building. Zager suggested a rotating display, a CD of recorded speeches, and a fundraising model to sustain the archive; she framed the proposal around Akron’s bicentennial and local school legacies.
Student board member Jordan Leeson also used his allotted time to highlight STEM High School programs and requested resources for vending machines, a student-run school store and expanded STEM clubs and scholarships.