Akron Superintendent Mary Outley used her first “State of the Schools” address at the Akron Press Club Tuesday to call for state and local action on issues facing the district.
She said educators will need to focus on data-driven strategies backed by research to improve low early literacy scores. She also asked parents to read to their children and get them to school on time in light of problems with absenteeism. Outley also called on legislators to fully fund schools, taking aim at school vouchers. The district is part of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the system.
“As of November, 2025, EdChoice (vouchers) has impacted the APS budget by over $33 million due to local students and their families not choosing Akron Public Schools,” she said. “This means through vouchers, Akron’s taxpayers are funding private and charter schools who operate independently from our school district.”…