The Akron Board of Education narrowly elected Vice President Carla Jackson as its new president Monday night, four votes to three.
Board Member Barbara Sykes, who had thrown her hat into the ring to be president, failed by a similar vote, three votes in favor to four votes against. The new leadership comes as the district in December launched an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct against Superintendent Michael Robinson.
Sykes called out Jackson prior to the vote, alleging Jackson had missed 20% of the meetings last year, and had missed many key votes. Sykes said she wanted to pursue greater accountability and transparency, and she also told the Akron Beacon Journal she wanted to push back on state's recent expansion of vouchers provided to private-school parents.
"She (Jackson) had the honor of representing us as the alternate the Ohio School Board Association," Sykes alleged. "She registered to attend the annual meeting, but she didn't attend. She didn't cancel the meeting either. So it caused this district to have to pay for that meeting, for that registration and for those hotel nights."
Jackson responded that she had to deal with an illness in her family. Meanwhile, she alleged Sykes had said during a recent board retreat that she did not want to hear from the district's students because "they're not voters." Jackson said she wanted to focus on hearing their voices and addressing their concerns.
"I advocate for all students, and I also support teachers in the work that they're doing," she said.
Jackson, now in her fourth year as a board member, is an administrator at Emmanuel Christian Academy, a private school in Akron. Sykes formerly served one term in the Ohio House of Representatives and also was an Akron City Council member.
Senior board members Bruce Alexander and Diana Autry, who is the former board president, were joined by Jackson in voting for her as president, along with Board Member Summer Jackson, who is in her first year on the job. Board Members Rene Molenaur and Sykes, who also were elected to the board in November 2023, joined Pastor Gregory Harrison in voting for Sykes; Harrison was appointed to the board to fill a seat vacated by member Job Perry last year.
