Here's something Akron Public Schools board members aren't used to hearing from the district treasurer: good news.

But treasurer Jack Pierson passed along to the board at Monday night's meeting that the number of students leaving the Akron district for other options is no longer increasing.

Board president Jason Haas says that fewer students leaving could result in a -slight- uptick in state money, over time...assuming the trend holds...

"We would actually see a little bit of an increase in our annual per pupil allocation, if those numbers continue to stablize, as they look like they're going to," Haas tells AkronNewsNow.com, based on earlier budget projections that the number of students leaving would continue to rise. "So, it's a positive, rare, but we'll take it, positive bit of financial news."

Haas thinks the district is doing a better job getting the district's strengths out there...in direct comparison to charter schools.

"We've really been conscious over the past couple of years of 'telling our story'", says Haas. "And we're getting a little bit better at it...we've got a long way to go, but we are getting better at that."

But the Akron district still must make some more cuts.

The appointment of new board member Veronica Sims, who took office Monday evening, has slowed down some of the process, but Haas says the board should have something to chew on, as far as possible budget cuts, sometime in the next month.

The Akron Public School board is weighing its options to close the last part of a $22 million budget gap.

But they're still fighting competition from charter schools.

A recent report highlighting a state requirement that the Akron schools provide transportation to charter schools up to two miles from the student's home got board members talking...for about a half-hour at Monday night's Akron school board meeting.

The board talked about how to get more students back in the Akron fold...students whose parents have moved them to charter schools just for the transportation.

Akron school superintendent David James says that he'd love to have charter students back in the district by making in district transportation more available, but there's the financial reality.

"We're cutting our budget," James tells AkronNewsNow.com, "and really can't afford to purchase the extra buses to enable and enlarge our own transportation or even try to lure some of those kids back."

James says though the board will look into what it'd take to reduce the transportation limit from 2 miles to a mile and a half, even if they could do it...charter, private and parochial schools would have the same advantage under state law.

The Akron superintendent says he doesn't think wooing charter school students back to the district can be a financial priority.

"I happen to think that the money would be much better spent focusing on the students we have, and improving their educational outcomes," James says, "and just rightsizing our district."