The Columbus City Schools' Board of Education voted to close six district buildings after months of debate and infighting amongst board members put the decision on hold.
Under a plan approved at Tuesday night’s board meeting, the district plans to close and consolidate three elementary schools, one middle school and Columbus Alternative High School over the course of the next several years. The district also plans to close its downtown office on East State Street and move its operations to the district’s far south side facility on South High Street.
The buildings the board voted to close include:
- The district’s downtown administration building at 270 East State St.
- Broadleigh Elementary School
- Buckeye Middle School
- The McGuffey Facility, which houses the Columbus Alternative High School
- Moler Elementary School
- West Broad Elementary School
West Broad Elementary School's vote did come with a caveat. The board voted an amendment to the motion that specifies there must be a concrete plan in place to build a new school in its place before West Broad is demolished.
Board President Christina Vera and other board members specified this was the case because prior facilities master plans called for this to happen.
The board ultimately voted not to close four schools. Those schools include:
- Eastmoor Middle School, which houses the Columbus Preparatory School for Boys
- Fairwood Elementary School
- Lindbergh Elementary School
- North Linden Elementary School
The list was originally winnowed down from 20 schools that were recommended to close by a district task force.
Vera said there will no changes during this school year or the next school year. The way that the district consolidates the schools that close will be determined at a later date this Spring by Superintendent Angela Chapman's office.
The district has been weighing this decision for months as pushback from parents and teachers and the Board of Education's infighting delayed any decisions.
That opposition showed up Tuesday night when parents and teachers held a pre-meeting press conference. The group sang renditions of classic Christmas carols including “Deck the Halls,” substituting the regular lyrics with the words “falalalala, don’t close our schools."
Susan Cavendish, a CCS parent with two children at West Broad Elementary, criticized the board for voting on closing schools.
"I wish that the board would grow some empathy and compassion. So close to the holidays. Voting on school closures as is is this close to Grinch like behavior I think you can get," Cavendish said. "I implore them to let their hearts grow a few more sizes and not break the hearts of children and community members."
Many people also spoke during public comment. Several community members advocated for North Linden Elementary School not to close. That group erupted in cheers when the board voted unanimously to not close that school.
Madeline Jobrack, a 5th grade teacher at North Linden, called on the board to reconsider their vote before and during the meeting.
"If you close North Linden or any of our schools, you take away the opportunities for us to watch these children blossom. For these children to build trusting, secure relationships with their teachers and their friends, to rely on the safety and love that is provided by an excellent elementary school," Jobrack said.
Vera told the room before the vote how difficult, but necessary she though this decision was for the district.
"As hard as this moment is. We have a charge. We have to make decisions that allow us to build a stronger, more sustainable and equitable district. And it's not an easy decision. None of this was easy," Vera said.
After the meeting, Chapman told reporters she wants families in the district to know CCS heard their voices "loud and clear."
"We know that these are difficult decisions and we certainly want them to know that we are going to allow the time that's needed and necessary to help begin to plan and think about the transition process for these school communities. None of these changes will take effect this school year or next school year," Chapman said.
Chapman said the board made the tough and very hard decisions that will continue to move the district forward.
"There's a lot of work that needs to be done from this point forward. The five school communities that are directly impacted and one admin site and this will take lots of planning. It will take lots of time effort," Chapman said.
Chapman said the board will now work on how to redraw district boundaries for schools in light of these closures. She said plans that were floated by the taskforce about where students would go after their building closes, are all "on the table for discussion."
For example, the taskforce recommendation said CAHS and its programming would be absorbed into East High School. If the board had voted to close Eastmoor Middle School, the Columbus Preparatory School for Boys would have been put in the same building as the Columbus Preparatory School for Girls under those recommendations.
The votes on each school were divided with most every board member voting "yes" or "no" at least once. All six members that were present gave speeches before their votes, broadly explaining why they voted in such a way.
For example, the votes on not closing Lindbergh and North Linden were unanimous. Fairwood Elementary School was a tie vote, meaning it failed to pass.
Board member Tina Pierce's votes differed from most of her fellow board members. She was the lone vote against closing Buckeye Middle School and the lone vote in favor of closing Eastmoor Middle School and the McGuffey facility.
Board member Sarah Ingles also differed from her colleagues often, voting against closing Moler, Fairwood and Broadleigh when others voted yes.
Vera and Board member Jennifer Adair broke from the pack the least, voting with the winning side in every vote except Fairwood, which failed on a tie.
Vera said the votes were taken separately, rather than as a whole, so they could evaluate each building individually.
"This was an individual process for each one of us. Even though we did it together, we voted as individuals," Vera said.
Board member Brandon Simmons was absent from the meeting. His vote may have changed the Fairwood decision if he chose to vote in favor.
None of the other votes were close enough for Simmons to be a deciding vote.
Simmons helped create the leaked strategy document that embroiled the district in controversy earlier this year. The document — leaked by Ingles to a local teacher's union — plotted ways in which the board could silence dissent against its plan to close school buildings.
Other board members ultimately directed all the blame at Simmons. He was censured by his colleagues as his behavior became more erratic. The board also voted on a resolution calling on him to resign.
Reporters asked Vera if she knew why Simmons was absent. Vera said she did not know and suggested it may be due to personal reasons.
Simmons texted WOSU Wednesday that he was unable to attend because he's had personal health challenges over the last few months. He said he wanted to be at the meeting and is proud of the work his colleagues accomplished.
