Finance & Capital Management Committee meeting
Akron Board of Education
Education
Monday, Aug. 19, 2024
4:30 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. EDT
The Akron Board of Education has four committees that meet on Mondays when there isn’t a regular meeting. The committees are: The Instructional Policy and Student Achievement Committee; The Equity Committee; The Finance & Capital Management Committee; The Legal, Contracts & Board Policy Committee.
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Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Akron - OH Documenters Team
Live reporting by
Wittman Sullivan
Akron Public Schools July revenue is up; treasurer reports 'solid' financial situation
Job Perry said the previous meeting summary was accurate Perry asked for the Levy Committee Update Thompson said they will wait for the presentation until Carla Chapman is off work hours at 5pm akronschools.com/district/news/…
akronschools.com/district/news/…
Thompson moved to the monthly finance report which he said will be approved at the next regular school board meeting (August 26th at 5:30 PM) He said tax revenue and expenses are inconsistent month to month He said contracts and labor costs are more consistent
He said budgets usually flex during a fiscal year and the five-year forecast is updated twice a year He said July had more revenue and expenditures than expected due to property tax revenues being received and budgeted purchases from 2024 being bought in July such as textbooks
He said the additional expenses were budgeted for and do not actually account for an unexpected or increased expenditure He said the negative expenditures in July will even out throughout the rest of fiscal year 2025 fox8.com/news/akron-sch…
fox8.com/news/akron-sch…
Thompson said Superintendent Michael Robinson is still negotiating with the City of Akron about how shared tax funding will be spent. He said some of the money is earmarked for the new Miller South and Pfifer Building akron.com/articles/akron… cleveland.com/akron/2023/07/…
akron.com/articles/akron…
cleveland.com/akron/2023/07/…
He said the district will operate in a deficit this fiscal year He said the district projects a 320 enrollment decline which includes students using vouchers He said the majority of students using school vouchers were never APS students
Carla Jackson asked how students that have never attended APS count toward declined enrollment Thompson said in district families pay taxes to APS are eligible for vouchers. He said in district students count against enrollment due to state guidelines education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-R…
education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-R…
Thompson said revenue collection in July is up $847,000 from July of 2023 which does not make up for increased revenue He said the district's financial position is "solid" so far but that the district will likely go into deficit this school year
He said inflation is down to %2.5 and the district is seeing "good" returns on investments Thompson said the plan to spend Student Wellness and Success Funds are publicly posted and in line with legal standards education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student…
education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student…
Thompson said the superintendent's office is creating a calendar of events for board members to attend as well as legislation and contracts that need upcoming board approval Staffers said the Akron Zoo Backpack Adventures are Tuesday and Wednesday 4-8 pm akronschools.com/district/news/…
akronschools.com/district/news/…
Perry said there are items in the Student Wellness and Success Funds to aid mental health Thompson said the dynamics in schools have changed with social media that put pressure on students He said Michael Robinson is targeting mental health in his strategic plan
Thompson said Carla Chapman has been working "off hours" to put together an APS Levy Committee Chapman said it has been 12 years since the last levy and that the district has done good work providing pre-K, college and career academies, and improving academic performance
She said there is a group of community members an organizations that have signed on to help pass a Levy with 3 active subcommittees including outreach, social media, and fundraising She said they expect an issue number soon and once they have the number they'll start campaigning
She said the deficits the district would face without a Levy would damage all programs that support students She said a strong school system has a responsibility to educate students and improve the community which takes increased funding from a levy
She said she wishes that property taxes weren't the only way to fund schools She said the Levy will cost homeowners of a $100,000 home approximately 25 dollars per month or "three baskets of fries" She said state law required schools to pass levies for additional funding
Thompson said %81 of the budget is staffing while the rest is facility and operations making it hard to make budget cuts He said funding currently supports students and improves behavioral and academic outcomes through programming and experiences that could be taken away by cuts
A community member asked what happens to the current Levy when the district needs a new Levy in the future They said that the district suspends students of color disproportionately even including K-2nd grade students Jackson asked if K-2 students are being suspended
She said there was a policy update that made it impossible to suspend younger students Robinson said there will be a new handbook to address issues with suspensions He said there are standards with suspensions that are in contracts but are in contrast with state law
A staffer said there was an updated policy in 2022 from the previous superintendent that limits suspensions for younger students to only incidents of serious physical attacks
The meeting ended at 5:31 PM. The next meeting will be September 16th at 4:30 PM at the Administration Building (10 N. Main). For more coverage check out Akron.Documenters.org
Akron.Documenters.org
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Agency Information
Akron Board of Education
The Akron Public Schools Board of Education is the official body representing the citizens of Akron on all matters of public education. The board is non-partisan and non-sectarian. Its members are elected at-large for four-year terms.