Columbus Board of Education

Columbus City Schools' Vice President Jennifer Adair previously served as board president for four years through the pandemic and the 2022-2023 teacher strike.

Michael Cole, Ramona Reyes and Christina Vera did not file paperwork to run for re-election. More than a dozen new candidates are running to fill their posts.

Vera said she wants to spend more time with her family and focus on her health. She stepped down from her position as board president earlier this month.

The board elected Michael Cole as the new president and Jennifer Adair as the new vice president on Tuesday night.

Independence High School teachers told the Columbus Board of Education Wednesday their population grew from around 600 students to 900. Many of these new students speak Haitian-Creole or Spanish.

Columbus School Board President Christina Vera said board members were able to talk with teachers, students, and in some cases, families.

The board voted 6-1 to request Simmons' resignation. The vote also was the second censure against Simmons. It aims to restrict his access to school buildings due to what other members of the board allege are "security concerns."

WOSU obtained via records request the audio recordings Simmons submitted to the Ohio Auditor’s Office. The recording files are labeled as “Tina Pierce and Brandon Simmons” and “Jennifer Adair and Brandon Simmons.”

Simmons alleges his colleagues retaliated against him after he authored a document trying to silence dissenting voices on the district's plan to close some buildings.

The Columbus City Schools Board of Education said it plans on touring all nine buildings recommended by a taskforce to close.