Akron Public Schools says the federal government has canceled almost $5 million in funding for the federal GEAR Up grant, which provided college and career mentorship for about 1,500 students.
District officials said they have filed an appeal, but if that's unsuccessful, seven employees who provide mentoring to students on their future careers will be laid off when the grant ends on Oct. 1. The grant is in the fifth year of a seven-year cycle, Superintendent Mary Outley said during Monday's Board of Education meeting. She said the high school students receiving mentorship through the program are now in their sophomore and junior years.
"These students are at a critical point in their lives ... They're the first in their families who even considered college," Outley said. "They began this program when they were in sixth grade and now at a crucial point. When they are ready to access things for which they are preparing for, the support will no longer be available."
Yvonne Culver, the district's director of school counseling and student wellness, said the reasoning given by the federal government for the cancellation related to diversity, equity and inclusion components of the program.
"I need to mention that our grant was non-continued based on components of the grant that were required five years ago to address DEI, but are no longer in alliance with, or no longer aligning with the opportunities or with the position of the current government," Culver said. "So five years ago we were awarded the grant based on what you asked and now it's being pulled based on what was in the grant that was written five years ago."
Culver and Outley asked parents, community members and students to contact their representatives abut the program being cut. Other states and districts have also reported GEAR Up grants being cancelled.
Outley said the district also stands to lose about $7 million in U.S. Department of Education funding if a U.S. House bill that proposes cutting the department's budget by 15% passes.
Akron is facing a challenging financial situation even without any federal funding cuts, Treasurer Wayne Bowers said Monday. The board approved a five-year forecast showing it running out of money completely by the time the fiscal year ends in June 2028, with a $13.3 million cash deficit. Bowers said anything is on the table to reduce costs.
"We need to look at our footprints, possibly the number of students in class," he explained. "We're looking through every purchase service contract right now. (Superintendent) Mary (Outley) and I are looking at anything we can, all the ideas there are that revolve around how to reduce cost."
Board accepts Keenan resignation
The board of education also voted Monday to accept the resignation of Steven Keenan, the district's facilities services director. Keenan is accused of trading in 11 district lawnmowers to a vendor, buying seven of those lawnmowers at a discounted price, then selling the mowers on his personal account on Facebook marketplace to earn almost $10,000 in profit, according to a district investigation. The board voted to forward that investigation to local law enforcement, the IRS and the Ohio Ethics Commission.
Editor's note: Steven Keenan is a member of Ideastream Public Media's Community Advisory Board, a volunteer group. His work on the board is independent of his position at Akron Public Schools. As a board member, he has no input on Ideastream's editorial decisions.
