Original Research by School Decision on Imagine Akron Academy
Imagine Akron Academy is a very small charter district serving Akron, organized as a single kindergarten-only school. The entity was recently restructured, with grades one through six moved to a separate but co-located charter called Imagine Leadership Academy, both operating at the same campus address. This arrangement means families who enroll in Imagine Akron Academy for kindergarten will need to transition their child to Imagine Leadership Academy for first grade, or look elsewhere, making the enrollment path a multi-step decision rather than a continuous school journey.
The school enrolls a small cohort of kindergarten students. The student body is predominantly Black, with a very small number of students identifying as Hispanic or white. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, on students with IEPs, and on English learners are not available. State assessment data do not apply here because kindergarten is not a tested grade in Ohio.
The restructuring into a kindergarten-only model appears recent, and publicly reported sources indicate that overall enrollment in the school has declined notably over the past several school years. The current kindergarten class sits at a size that reflects this contraction.
Among Summit County's districts, Imagine Akron Academy reports a chronic absenteeism rate above the median, meaning a larger share of students are missing substantial school time compared to the county's typical district. Per-pupil current spending at the school falls in the lower range when compared with other districts in the county. A parent may want to look into what accounts for the high absenteeism rate and what supports the school offers to address attendance.
The school's website and publicly available data do not provide detail on curriculum, teaching approach, special programs, or the experience of kindergarten instruction. No graduation rate applies because the school does not serve secondary grades. The operational structure as a kindergarten-only entry point into a broader charter network is the defining feature parents will encounter when considering this option.
See more original research from School Decision →