Eight of the 10 candidates running for the Columbus City Schools' Board of Education spoke at a forum on the city's southeast side Thursday evening.
Most of the candidates either directly vented their frustrations about decisions made by the current board or voiced support for changes that need to be made in the district. The candidates took four questions after being subjected to a lightning round of questions about whether they support public education, enjoy strategy games, support access to abortion or if they take corporate donations.
The candidates are seeking three open seats being vacated by Christina Vera, Michael Cole and Ramona Reyes. Candidates Julie Trabold and Liz Caslin-Turner were the only two candidates who qualified for the ballot who were not present on Thursday evening.
Columbus City Schools has faced a series of tough challenges and hurdles over the last several years during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Those challenges include the 2022-2023 teachers' strike; choosing Angela Chapman as district superintendent in 2023; deciding which schools need to close; and fallout from the controversial strategy document involving board member Brandon Simmons.
The school district is also facing potential cuts on its budget from the state and federal government and pressures to remove diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The state also barred transgender students from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
Multiple candidates made their frustrations with the school board known for various reasons.
Antoinette Miranda, a former Ohio Board of Education member and an Ohio State University professor was bluntly critical of the district's messaging to the community.
"We do a piss poor job in Columbus City Schools of advertising the stuff that we do very well," Miranda said.
Miranda said the district needs to do a better job of budgeting and a better job of recruitment to address receiving less money from the state and federal government.
Patrick Katzenmeyer, a parent of two CCS students, said his child's elementary school was almost one of the five schools chosen to be closed by the board in December.
Katzenmeyer and several other candidates were critical of the board's communication with the community on the school closure decisions.
"There was no notification, there was no explanation of where our kids would go or the teachers who were part of that school," Katzenmeyer said. "And thankfully... after much protesting from teachers and students, even though we were called liars by a couple folks on the board, the school was was not closed and it's problematic."
Jermaine Kennedy agreed with Katzenmeyer and said the school closure decision was "handled terribly."
"I think also it was a missed opportunity to really engage not just the community, the families within the district, but also the community at large. Because schools play a vital role in neighborhoods for kids, but also as community hubs," Kennedy said.
Janeece Keyes‐Shanklin took issue with the board giving tax abatements to developers who build in the city.
"They've been given a kind of free or get-out-of-jail-free, five-year span of not paying their taxes that they are due to the district," Keyes-Shanklin said.
Keyes-Shanklin called for more accountability to make sure developers are paying their dues.
Health educator and CCS graduate Mounir Lynch was another candidate who was critical of the board on tax abatements.
"It's ridiculous to me. It's a joke. We don't hold (developers) accountable and we give them so much of our money," Lynch said.
Lynch also called on school board members to take their advocacy to the Ohio Statehouse.
"We need to make some noise and fight for our kids," Lynch said.
Karrie Lumpkin did go to bat for the school district. She directed her ire at charter schools instead.
"I am tired of everybody pooh-poohing on Columbus Public Schools. Charter schools are failing more than Columbus Public," Lumpkin said. "I would like to find a way that we get that money back and for the transportation."
The primary election for the three open board seats is on May 6. Six of the 10 candidates will advance to the general election in November.
