The Akron Beacon Journal asked the leaders of Summit County's 17 public school districts to share some highlights of what's new in their schools this year. We will share these highlights over the next couple of weeks as students begin returning to class.
First up: Akron Public Schools.
Summit County's largest – and oldest – school district will celebrate a milestone anniversary, highlight the completion of a multimillion-dollar construction project and showcase the opportunities available at each of its school clusters this school year.
Families also will see new security equipment on school buses and new screening procedures at district events. Some students will have new and enhanced college and career opportunities this year.
Here is what's new in Akron Public Schools:
Akron Public Schools, which was formally established in 1847, will celebrate its 180th anniversary this school year with student and community events and activities.
While planning still is underway, 28 high school students who participated in the district's Summer Learn and Earn internship program have created a website designed to highlight the district's milestone anniversary. The website, designed for students from elementary to high school, includes a look at the district's 180-year history, information about each school cluster, district hidden gems, Akron-native and basketball superstar LeBron James' connection to the district and videos of student-led interviews with school employees and city residents.
As part of their research, the students toured the Old Stone School, which is considered Akron's first schoolhouse that was erected in the early 1830s, to learn about education during the early years of Akron Public Schools. The three-week internship, now in its second year, was funded by the Office of School Improvement's supplemental school improvement grant and helps students, who are paid for their attendance, with credit recovery, job skills and earning an industry credential and Ohio Means Jobs readiness seal.
People attending events at district buildings and athletic facilities can no longer bring a backpack or large purse with them, under new safety protocols.
Bags now must be clear and measure no larger than 8.3 inches by 6.5 inches by 3.3 inches.
Joanne Isaac, assistant director of marketing and communications, said the new protocols are intended to help ensure the safety of attendees and students while on district property.
Isaac said diaper bags will be permitted but subject to inspection. Other special circumstances, such as medical bags, will be addressed at the entrances as needed, she said.
Students seeking a career in education can once again begin their journey at Buchtel Community Learning Center. The education professions and leadership pathway, which had not taken new students for the past couple of years, will welcome a new class of sophomores this fall.
Marcie Ebright, director of college and career academies, said the district had begun phasing out the pathway at Buchtel and planned to retire the program at the end of last school year after the seniors, who were the sole remaining class in the Buchtel pathway, graduated. But Buchtel leaders, with input from its advisory board, chose to keep the education pathway instead of its information technology and game design pathway, which has struggled to attract students and a full-time teacher.
Ebright said the district used leftover money from last school year to buy updated equipment, such as interactive boards, and to create a more distinctive education training environment for students in the education pathways at Buchtel and Firestone Community Learning Center.
Students in Ellet Community Learning Center's construction technology pathway now have a direct pipeline to becoming an apprentice with the local laborers union.
The Laborers' International Union of North America, which has partnered with Buchtel's construction and masonry pathway, plans to expand its construction pre-apprenticeship program to Ellet.
The three-year program, known as the LIUNA LEARN program, offers classroom learning, hands-on experiences, construction jobsite visits and career exploration activities, such as job interviewing. Taught by an Akron Public Schools instructor, students often participate in a construction project, such as pouring a concrete pad, in a supervised environment.
John LeConche, executive director of LIUNA Training & Education Fund, said Akron LEARN program graduates earn industry credentials toward their high school diploma and advanced training credit they can use if they enter the Laborers Union Local 894 apprenticeship program to become a construction craft laborer.
The union's apprenticeship program, which all new members must complete, consists of 4,000 hours of on-the-job training and an additional 432 hours of classroom training.
LEARN graduates come in at a higher starting apprenticeship wage and can finish the program sooner than members with no prior experience.
"There is a quicker path to higher wages," LeConche said.
Buchtel was the first school in the nation to use the LIUNA LEARN curriculum in the 2023-2024 school year. The LEARN program has since expanded to more than a dozen other schools with four additional programs starting this fall, union officials said.
Jason Legg, business manager for Laborers Union Local 894, said at least a half dozen of Buchtel's construction pathway graduates have completed the apprentice program and are now members of Local 894, which represents construction laborers, highway laborers and mason tenders in the Akron region. Legg, who graduated from Ellet High School, said at least four of Buchtel graduates are currently working on construction projects within the region.
The district plans to equip many of its school buses with cameras to record vehicles that illegally pass a bus when it is stopped to pick up or drop off students.
The cameras will be mounted to the stop sign that swings out to alert motorists that students are getting on or off the bus. The district, which transports roughly 5,800 students each school day, received a $115,037 bus safety grant from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to purchase the equipment. The cameras are expected to be installed by district mechanics later this school year.
This will be the first time Akron Public Schools has equipped its buses with stop-arm cameras.
Families can now visit the new family resource center at Garfield Community Learning Center.
Superintendent Mary Outley said the center had been located at McEbright Community Learning Center, which is part of the Garfield school cluster, but needed more space.
Family resource centers, which are open year-round, help parents and caregivers get information, assistance and referrals to community resources, such as health and wellness programs, basic needs support and financial coaching.
Other resource centers are located at North High School and Helen Arnold, David Hill and Hyre community learning centers.
A ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Buchtel CLC press box will be held at 10:40 a.m. Sept. 5 at the stadium at 1040 Copley Road in Akron. Buchtel's football team will play its first home game later that day.
The $2.5 million construction project included the removal of the press box and concession stand that was built in 1955, construction of a two-sided building that houses a press box, concessions and storage. A separate building for restrooms and storage also was constructed on the southeast corner of the stadium footprint. Previously, those attending games at Buchtel had to go inside the school to access a restroom.
Contractors also paved the former cinder track that surrounds the football field and extended the underground electrical conduit to give the district the ability to install stadium lights in the future.
During the ceremony, two Buchtel griffin statues will be unveiled above the concession stand. Students in Buchtel's construction and masonry pathway are building the wings for the statues, which are expected to be roughly 3 feet tall and have a 5-foot wingspan.
Several Akron schools will welcome a new principal this year.
Case CLC's former dean of students, Vickie Person, is now the school's principal.
East CLC's new principal also is a familiar face. Larissa Brown previously served as East's academy principal.
Firestone CLC will welcome Walter Noland as its principal. Noland was the campus principal at East CLC.
Hatton CLC's new principal is Darby Baumberger, a 26-year veteran in the district who most recently served as the dean of students at Betty Jane CLC.
Innes CLC's interim principal Ricky Sims can now remove the "interim" from his title as he's been named the school's principal.
Litchfield CLC will welcome Christopher Haynes as its principal. Haynes previously served as a principal at Schumacher CLC and most recently as an academy principal at Buchtel CLC.
Resnick CLC's new principal will be Amanda Brown, a former teacher who most recently served as dean of students at Barber CLC.
Schumacher CLC's interim principal Shelby Morgan will be staying as its principal. The Ellet High School graduate has worked in the district for the past 13 years.
Seiberling CLC will welcome Matthew Doslak as its new principal. Doslak previously served as principal at Case CLC.
Akron Public Schools will host a series of community showcases to highlight the district's offerings to current and prospective families, alumni, business and community partners and residents.
Hosted at each school cluster's high school, the events will allow visitors to tour the buildings, meet district staff and students and learn about the cluster's college and career academy pathways, athletics, clubs, extracurricular activities, enrollment options and employment opportunities. Last year's showcases included performances, hands-on activities and presentations that highlights aspects unique to each cluster.
Oct. 9: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at East CLC
Oct. 22: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Garfield CLC
Oct. 27: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at North High School
Oct. 28: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Ellet CLC
Oct. 29: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at STEM High School
Nov. 1: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Firestone CLC
Nov. 19: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Buchtel CLC
Reach Akron Beacon Journal staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 9 new principals, cameras on buses: What's new at Akron Public Schools