Columbus City Schools' pending decision whether to close nine buildings in the state's largest district is still a long way off.
Members of The Columbus Board of Education will tour all nine buildings by early October before any decision is made, board president Christina Vera announced at a meeting Tuesday night.
The nine buildings include one high school, two middle schools and six elementary schools.
A task force appointed by the board recommended those nine buildings and the district's downtown office on East State Street to close and consolidate into other buildings earlier this year.
Vera said these visits are for research purposes only at this stage. She did not take questions from reporters following the meeting.
"We are also consulting with both national and local experts on right sizing and equity. This next step will require a multifaceted approach, one that the Columbus Board of Education is committed to, but it will take time," Vera said.
The announcement at Tuesday's meeting follows accusations by board member Brandon Simmons that the district's plan to close these buildings was "dead" and would never receive a vote.
A document Simmons claims to have been the sole author of derailed the conversation about closing schools and added more fuel to the fire of groups of parents who opposed closing the buildings.
Simmons held a press conference Tuesday outside of Marion-Franklin High School, one of the buildings that would absorb buildings from the closed buildings.
Simmons acknowledged the position he put himself in politically is not ideal. He also reiterated that he won't resign from the board.
"So I answered that back in May. No is the answer. What do I have to lose to advocate for our district? I understand the position I'm in. I understand I'm at political rock bottom. I'm not stupid," Simmons said.
There is a growing chorus of people calling on Simmons to resign. If he doesn't resign, there are limited options for him to be removed if the other board members or voters want him off the board. In May, Simmons was censured by fellow board members for the leaked document.
Ohio law states citizens are not able to call for a recall election for school board members. The law for recall elections at a local level only applies to city or municipal office holders.
School board policy states a member may be removed for misconduct in office in accordance with law. It's unclear what misconduct rises to that level.
Spokespeople for the district have not responded to requests to clarify what misconduct rises to that level.
Simmons was first elected to the school board last November and has more than three years left on his term.
