There’s no denying the students and staff of Akron’s North High need and deserve a new school.
There are only so many Band-Aids the district can put on the deteriorating, 94-year-old building to keep it up and running.
But North isn’t the only cluster in Akron Public Schools that requires more financial support.
It’s been a dozen years since the district asked voters to approve a tax increase.
As APS Chief Diversity Officer Carla Chapman told us, “The last time we asked, our current seniors were walking into kindergarten.”
During those 12 years, the cost of just about everything – including salaries – has continued to rise. But even as property values have increased, the amount of local tax money flowing into the district has remained the same due to state law.
This November, Akron Public Schools is asking voters to approve a two-pronged approach to build a new North High School and to provide more operational dollars for the district.
Issue 27 includes a 1.29-mill, $85 million bond issue to build the new school and a 7.6-mill operating levy to provide $26.4 million in annual funding for the district.
We urge voters to support Issue 27.
North is the only neighborhood high school that wasn’t replaced with a new building through the city and the district's joint 15-year effort that built more than 30 community learning centers. At the time, North's low enrollment didn't justify building a new school.
In 2016, North High School had just 500 students. Today, that number has about doubled.
North is the only high school that has shown significant growth in enrollment in recent years, thanks in large part to the thriving immigrant and refugee population in North Hill.
Meanwhile, the building is showing its age , with a leaky roof, an unpredictable HVAC system and tiles patched with duct tape, among other issues.
Districtwide, an operating levy is needed to avoid a looming deficit of almost $24 million predicted in 2026 due to rising operating expenses and less revenue.
The school board already has taken recent steps to tighten its belt, including approving $24 million worth of budget cuts that eliminated 285 positions, including about 160 currently filled jobs.
“If this doesn’t pass, we will have to make cuts,” Akron school board member Barbara Sykes told the Beacon Journal. Those cuts will most likely involve more teachers and administrators .
“And there will be no new school,” she added.
Without funding for a new school, North probably will be shuttered and the students will spread out to other high schools, Sykes said.
That option is far from ideal, particularly given the high percentage of students in the North cluster who require extra support as English-language learners and newcomers to our country and our community .
“Could we do that? Yes,” APS Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Thompson said. But it would then mean “trying to redistribute our resources,” as well as diluting the sense of “community” in North Hill.
We understand tax increases can be challenging for struggling families and individuals on fixed incomes.
The combined bond issue and operational levy will cost property owners $315 annually per $100,000 of the assessed property value.
But we believe it’s a wise investment in the future to support our schools.
Some voters also may question whether they should approve a levy given the district’s recent controversies. Most recently, the Beacon Journal reported that a school board member wrote a letter to her colleagues accusing the superintendent of being a bully toward her.
There has also been increased tension between the administration and the teachers' union, culminating last month with a press release quoting the superintendent as saying, "No one should be going to their union rep if they are concerned about classroom procedures." Eight hours later, the district released an updated release indicating the line was an "incorrect quote" attributed to the superintendent; the superintendent also denied making the statement.
Whether you agree with the superintendent, board members or teachers' union doesn’t change the fact that North High deserves a new building and the district needs more financial support.
“It doesn’t matter who the superintendent is sitting in that seat,” Sykes said. “We still need to pass this levy.”
We urge voters to put the kids first and support Issue 27.
This piece was written by Akron Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell on behalf of the editorial board of the Beacon Journal. Editorials are fact-based assessments of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: OPINION: The students of Akron Public Schools deserve your support. Vote yes on Issue 27
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