The Akron Public Schools Board of Education voted to officially place Superintendent Mary Outley under contract Tuesday night, after a 34-year career in the district in various roles, including both as a teacher and administrator.
Outley was appointed superintendent on April 28 in the same meeting that the board approved a separation agreement with the previous superintendent, Michael Robinson, after an investigation found he had verbally abused and threatened staff. The board did not have a full contract with her in place until Tuesday night's vote, however.
She was named the interim superintendent when Robinson was placed on leave after the investigation was made public; Outley was also the interim superintendent following the departure of former Superintendent Lisa Fowler-Mack. Both Robinson and Fowler-Mack each lasted less than two years.
The board voted once again on May 5 to choose Outley as the next superintendent, through a narrow four to three vote, after questions surfaced about the district not following its superintendent hiring policy. Three board members said the district should not rush into the decision, while the other four cited Outley's consistent, positive track record as a reason not to conduct a lengthy and potentially expensive search.
The Board voted five to one to approve Outley's contract Tuesday. Board Member Barbara Sykes said she was concerned about the lack of process; typically, districts will advertise superintendent jobs publicly, interview multiple candidates and take several months to decide. But ultimately, she said she believes in Outley.
"I have seen professionalism and I have seen grace, I am proud of her, and I wish her the best," Sykes said. "I will vote for this but at the same time I will caution all of us, let’s not tear down our foundation, it’s so much, much, much more important than any one of us."
Outley said she was ready for the job during a press gaggle after she was initially appointed on April 28.
"This is a district that I love and I grew up in, and I also have family within the Akron Public Schools, and so I'm invested. And so I am here for the long run, and I just want to make sure that we succeed," she said.
Outley will help the district navigate an uncertain financial future. Board members and the administration Tuesday discussed the district's five-year forecast, which shows the district deficit spending over each of those years. That could trigger state monitoring and eventually potential state takeover if the district runs out of money as it's forecast to do by the end of the 2028-2029 fiscal year.
The board approved laying off six staff Tuesday for budget reasons, as part of a broader budget reduction plan that seeks to reduce costs by $10 million over the next school year.
The state legislature is considering reducing the amount of funding public schools had been expecting in its next budget by not continuing the Fair School Funding Plan. Uncertainty remains at the federal funding level as well when it comes to education spending under the Trump administration.
Outley will earn $240,000 per year, the same as her predecessor, according to a copy of her contract posted on the board of education website. The contract includes a clause requiring her to live in the city of Akron within six months of the contract's start. The board approved a "bridge" contract for Outley's employment through July 31, 2025, along with a full three-year contract that runs from Aug. 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028.
