They spent months on the campaign trail explaining to voters how they would bring transparency and stability to a school district that has been under constant turmoil for the past five years. And now, two months after being elected, Akron Public Schools’ four newest school board members are ready to begin fulfilling their campaign promises.
Newcomers Nathan R. Jarosz, Karmaya Kelly and Phil Montgomery, along with returning board member Rev. Gregory B. Harrison, took their oaths of office for the Akron school board on Jan. 5 at the Garfield Community Learning Center.
More than 100 people − including current school board members, Superintendent Mary Outley, school administrators, teachers, staff and community, political and business leaders − attended the ceremony, which was open to the public.
The four members, whose terms began Jan. 1, join school board members Summer Hall, Rene Molenaur and Barbara Sykes, who are entering their third year on the seven-member board.
Their work ahead includes helping Superintendent Outley navigate the district beyond a challenging and often chaotic past five years, which included four different superintendents, three different treasurers, the abrupt departure of key administrators and a near teacher strike. They also must confront a projected multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, oversee major building projects in Kenmore and North Hill and adapt to shifting state and federal budget and policy changes.
The new board’s first meeting, where members will select a president and vice president, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the Sylvester Small Administration Building at 10 N. Main St. The meetings also are streamed live on the district’s website at www.akronschools.com/district/board-of-education/upcoming-and-archived-livestreams.
Here are three highlights from the swearing-in ceremony:
1. Greater Akron Chamber leader: ‘You don’t have to do it alone’
Greater Akron Chamber President and CEO Steve Millard, who served as the ceremony’s emcee, emphasized how the community needs a school board that will make decisions that best develop new generations of connected, successful workers.
“One of the most important (aspects) for the foundation of success is a strong, capable and effective educational system,” Millard said. “As the largest single driver of K-12 talent development in our region, the success of Akron Public Schools is especially important to us.”
He said the audience’s attendance signals a strong community commitment to help the board with its work.
“You’ve been elected to lead this work, but you don’t have to do it alone,” Millard said.
2. New Akron board members pledge action, express gratitude
After being sworn in, each new board member took a moment to thank their supporters and look ahead to the upcoming year.
Harrison, senior pastor of Antioch Baptist Church who was appointed to the school board in October 2024, pledged to be an advocate for those who feel they have no voice.
“I want to work with our administration to really, really bring our school district back to where it should be,” said Harrison, who recalled how the death of his godson by a 15-year-old who couldn’t read in 2013 prompted him to begin attending school board meetings.
Jarosz, founder and chief executive officer of Leadership Influencing Teen Empowerment, said his vision for the district places students in the center of every decision.
“The vision this community wanted was one of stability, transparency and collaboration, a vision that promotes diversity, practices financial responsibility and prioritizes safety,” said Jarosz, whose nonprofit organization provides leadership and emotional intelligence training to students. “… Now is the time for us to take action and to see this vision through.”
Montgomery, the director of finance and budget for Summit County whose two daughters attend Akron Public Schools, said in February he will begin hosting monthly meetings that rotate among the district’s different school clusters.
“My door is open,” said Montgomery, a former Akron Ward 8 councilman. “You’ll get a response – you sometimes might not like the answer, but I’m going to give you one and tell you why I made it.”
Kelly, a political newcomer who returned home to Akron in 2024, became too emotional to speak as she approached the podium. With the audience’s cheers and words of encouragement, Kelly shared her gratitude to the community.
“When I initially started this journey, I had no idea what exactly I was getting myself into,” said Kelly, who previously worked in maternal healthcare in Columbus and has served as a mentor for Akron Public Schools students since summer 2024. “But each community member that I interacted with slowly started to connect the dots for me that created a portrait of purpose for myself. And for that, I am forever indebted to this community.”
3. Teachers, family, friends hopeful that change is coming
Patricia Shipe, president of the Akron Education Association that threw its support behind the four new board members during the campaign, said she believes their election will help the district move forward.
“There’s a lot of hard decisions this new board is going to have to make,” Shipe said. “But we’re hopeful it’s opening a new chapter for Akron Public Schools.”
Keith Gatti, a teacher at East Community Learning Center, believes Jarosz, whom he’s known for roughly 15 years through Scouting America’s Order of the Arrow, will listen when teachers say they need support or express concerns about a policy.
“We need people who will respond to and talk to the teachers and those of us who work on the front lines,” said Gatti, who teaches the Project Lead the Way technology program for middle schoolers. “I think too often boards of education – and not necessarily Akron – cut an order and don’t realize that we humans out here have to deal with the students and deal with that order. I think Nathan and some of the people elected this time, while they aren’t teachers necessarily, I think they will understand that we need some support and we need some help to carry out those orders.”
Amy Campbell, a recent Springfield Local school board candidate, attended the ceremony to support Kelly and Jarosz as they represent the younger generation.
“A lot of us are coming of age and trying to make a difference with our experiences …,” she said. “I think it’s really important to get youth into positions of power.”
Reach Akron Beacon Journal education writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kweir@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron’s new school board members sworn in. Here’s what they had to say:
Reporting by Kelli Weir, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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