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Akron Public Schools reinstates state‑licensed cosmetology pathway for 2024–25, board hears attendance is a hurdle
Summary
A district presenter told the board the cosmetology pathway was reapproved in May 2024 as a fully licensed State Cosmetology program with about 1,789 daytime hours and multiple pathways to credit; officials warned low daily attendance is limiting students’ ability to complete licensure hours.
Mrs. Zebryte, the district presenter for the cosmetology pathway, told the Akron Public School Board that the program was reapproved by the State Cosmetology Board in May 2024 and will run as a fully licensed cosmetology program for the 2024–25 school year. "We were recently reapproved in May 2024 for those hours for this coming school year," she said, adding the program includes daytime theory, labs and supervised clinical hours.
The presenter described the pathway as encompassing roughly 1,789 daytime hours available to students, and said successful completion of 1,500 hours qualifies a student for the state licensure benchmarks the district is using. "This is a value of about $24,000," she said, referring to the estimated cost of equivalent private coursework and materials a graduate would otherwise need to cover.
Board members pressed for specifics. Vice President Jackson asked whether the reapproval referenced the May 2024 State Cosmetology Board action and whether students in the previously affected classes would now be able to accrue hours toward licensure; the presenter confirmed both points. The presenter also explained barbering requires an additional 300 hours on top of cosmetology and noted safety and practice‑partner constraints make barbering a later certification for many students.
School staff described additional pathways for earning hours, including credit‑bearing coursework in anatomy, biology, chemistry and Algebra II, summer workshops (reported as up to 160 hours), salon internships (about 150 hours), and after‑school opportunities. The presenter cautioned that "one area of concern is the daily attendance of students," and said the district will institute family orientations and monthly communications for students enrolled beginning in 10th grade to track progress toward hours.
Questions from the board clarified transferability of hours: "Many of those hours would be transferable to a post‑secondary institution," the presenter said, and the district affirmed it will continue to pay for licensing tests for recent graduates who met hours but did not test. Board President Autry and other members expressed support, while emphasizing community outreach to improve attendance and completion rates.
The presentation was informational; the board did not take a formal vote on the cosmetology item during the meeting. The district said it will continue family outreach and orientation as the program relaunches for the 2024–25 school year.
