Barbara Sykes elected Akron Public School Board president; Dr. Renee Molnar chosen vice president
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
At its Jan. 5 meeting, the Akron Public School Board elected Barbara Sykes president and Dr. Renee Molnar vice president, administered oaths, and approved new standing committees and assignments for 2026. The board also set meeting dates and approved the consent agenda.
Barbara Sykes was elected president of the Akron Public School Board on Jan. 5, winning a unanimous roll-call vote after a nomination by Member Meredith Harrison. The board then unanimously elected Dr. Renee Molnar as vice president. Both officers were sworn in that evening by Judge David Hamilton.
Sykes gave an acceptance speech thanking colleagues, educators, union representatives and local elected officials, and pledged to focus on equity, transparency and support for students and staff. She named Representative Veronica Sims among attendees and pledged to call on state and federal officials when the district needs help.
After the leadership elections, the board voted 7-0 to amend policy 01555 to add two standing committees (policy and rules committees) to the existing committee structure. President Sykes announced committee assignments for 2026, including chairs, vice chairs, meeting schedules and cluster leads. Among the standing committees named were Finance & Capital Management, Instructional Policy & Student Achievement, Legal & Contract, Policy, Student Success Celebration and Rules. The board also designated members to the Joint Board of Review with the City of Akron and named OSBA trustee and alternate representatives.
The board approved its 2026 meeting calendar and confirmed other routine matters by unanimous votes. Several procedural motions — including suspension of bylaw 1.31 to allow consideration of policy amendments at the same meeting — passed on roll call, 7-0.
The meeting recessed to executive session later in the evening to discuss personnel matters and collective bargaining under Ohio Revised Code 121.22(g)(1) and 121.22(g)(4). The board announced it intended to return after the executive session.
The board’s actions on leadership and committee organization set the governance structure the board intends to use for 2026; members said committees will meet on the schedules announced and that further details would be provided when committee membership is finalized.