THE I PROMISE SCHOOL (IPS) is a public school in Akron Ohio, dedicated to serving the needs of underprivileged children in grades 1 through 8. It is operated by the Akron public school district and is supported by funds from the Lebron James Family Foundation. The Lebron James Family Foundation started the I Promise initiative in (2018) as an initiative to assist the Akron public school system The school, although composed of both an elementary and middle school, is considered a single educational institution: The I Promise School.
The school was created as a consequence of Lebron James’ own negative experience within the Akron Public school system during his youth. James realized that the Akron system had significant issues with students’ attendance and graduation rates which were far lower than state averages. That impelled him to make a promise to confront the matter with funds from his own charitable foundation. That promise became the key word in the name of the school. The school opened on July 30th 2018, initially serving 240 students in only grades three and four. In the following year grades one and two were added, and by 2022 school included all grades from one through eight.
The school prides itself on the promises made by both students and staff to help students and their families enjoy a better life through education. In addition to classwork the I Promise School also has several non-curricular programs to assist children and families. These include (but are not limited to) : providing all 3 meals to students and if needed their family, helping parents with career placement or earning their GED, free transportation within 2 miles of the school, and free tuition to the University of Akron for students who maintain a 3.0 GPA through high school. The school represents a holistic approach to education combining classroom success with support systems that help young people and their families build a foundation for success.