LeBron James-backed ‘I Promise School’ yields ‘disheartening’ results: NO eighth grade student has passed state math exam in three years

I Promise School, co-funded by LeBron James and his foundation, has come under scrutiny from the state after revealing alarming test scores.

The Akron, OH. public school, which operates in partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation, has not had a single student in its eighth grade cohort pass the state math exam since third grade, according to the Akron Beacon Diary.

James’ altruistic venture led him to help open the school in 2018 to “serve students who are already falling behind and at risk of falling through the cracks,” according to the website.

While there was data showing that students at the school had improved year on year, some had actually regressed since attending I Promise.

According to the Journal, black students and people with disabilities test “in the bottom 5%” in Ohio.

The president of the school board, Derrick Hall, finds the current state of the school disheartening.

“For me as a board member, I just think about all the resources we provide,” Hall said via the Journal. “And I’m just disappointed that I don’t think it doesn’t seem like we’re seeing the kind of change that we would expect.”

Keith Liechty-Clifford, the director of school improvement for the district, echoed the sentiment in the same report.

“It’s disheartening,” he said of the eighth-grader results. According to the Journal, Liechty-Clifford showed data showing both progression and regression in the Akron school.

According to the Journal report, the number of students who could read well more than doubled, from 6% to 13%, in relation to those who moved from fourth to fifth grade. Although those in the sixth grade of 2022 had only 2% proficiency, compared to a rate of 7% during their fifth grade education.

The school receives funding from state, local, and federal funding in a manner no different from other public schools. According to a 2018 Cleveland Plain dealer reportthe school costs the taxpayer about $8 million a year.

James’ Family Foundation, which reportedly donates $1.4 million each year to help more teachers and educators, released a statement Monday on the matter.

“As we began this work of surrounding students through education, we entered into this long-term partnership with Akron Public School,” it read.

‘Because this work requires long-term commitment, hard work and a lot of love and care. And that’s what we bring every day, because the I Promise School is more than a school.

“We are here for ups and downs and will continue to surround our students and their entire families so that they can be successful in school and in life, regardless of the challenges and obstacles that come their way.”