The I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, funded by NBA legend LeBron James, is facing scrutiny following reports of “discouraging” test scores from its students. According to a school board inquiry, not one single 8th grader at the I Promise School has passed a state math exam in over three years.
The I Promise school was founded in 2018 as a way for LeBron James to give back to his hometown. The school’s website boasts that “all of the LeBron James Family Foundation’s work is rolled into the I Promise School…dedicated to those students who are already falling behind and in danger of falling through the cracks.” Initially teaching elementary school, the I Promise School eventually expanded to teach 1st through 8th grade.
“This is a huge moment, not only in my life, not only in my family’s life, not only in the [LeBron James Family Foundation’s] life but for these kids and for the whole city of Akron more importantly,” said James in a speech on the school’s opening day. “This is a huge moment for all of us.”
But even early on, the I Promise School drew criticism from the community. Although operating in partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation—receiving up to $1.4 million every year—I Promise is considered a public school, getting 75% of its funding from state and local government at taxpayer expense. In effect, it is no different than any other public school. The school has also suffered from inner-city crime problems on its campus, culminating in a 17-year-old non-student being beaten to death in the school’s parking lot last year.
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Last week, an Akron school board examination raised serious concerns about I Promise students’ scholastic performance. According to data presented to the board, reading proficiency for last year’s 5th graders more than doubled from 6% to 13%. Last year’s 6th graders, however, declined from 7% proficiency to just 2%. The first class of 8th graders to graduate from I Promise only demonstrated 11% proficiency on state language arts exams, failing to meet the goal of preparing students for high school.
The most worrying statistics concerned performance on math exams, with the incoming 8th-grade class being the worst of all. The class showed 17% proficiency when they were in 3rd grade, but following a canceled test during the COVID pandemic, not one single student passed the exam in the intervening three years. “I’m just disappointed that…it doesn’t appear like we’re seeing the kind of change that we would expect to see,” Board President Derrick Hall said.
The State of Ohio also found concerning numbers. According to Yahoo News, “two of I Promise’s biggest subgroups of students, Black students and those with disabilities, are now testing in the bottom 5% in the state, landing the school on the Ohio Department of Education’s list of those requiring targeted intervention.” These results have left many in the Akron community questioning James’ level of commitment to the partnership, but the Foundation insists that it will continue helping the school “for the long haul.”
The I Promise School will welcome a new principal this coming year in the hopes of improving performance and encouraging academic excellence.
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