(PM.) LeBron James’ I Promise School, located in Akron, Ohio, is currently facing severe criticism from members of the Akron Public School Board due to a troubling revelation. Recent reports have disclosed that this year’s incoming 8th-grade class has not produced a single student who passed the state math test in over three years.
The shocking news left board member Valerie McKitrick astonished as she expressed her disbelief, saying, “Not one? In three years?” The data presented to her revealed that not a single student from the fall 8th-grade class at the I Promise School could achieve proficiency in the Ohio state math test, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
Promises kept? Akron school board questions I Promise School’s poor test scores https://t.co/RMO1UMkh2r via @JenPignolet
— Jessie Balmert (@jbalmert) July 27, 2023
Keith Liechty-Clifford, the district director of school improvement in Akron, expressed his discouragement with the newly discovered information.
Despite substantial financial support from the James Foundation, as well as local, state, and federal funding, the I Promise School’s performance among students has been deeply concerning. These students now find themselves testing in the bottom 5% in the entire state.
As a result of these distressing test scores, the Ohio Department of Education will be stepping in to intervene at the I Promise School. This intervention is a last-ditch effort to reverse the declining trend in test performance and address the challenges the school is facing.
