COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus City School District's Superintendent’s Community Facilities Task Force met Tuesday afternoon to finalize its list of school closures and consolidations.
Al Edmondson, a co-chair of the task force, said he wants people to trust their decision making.
“It’s a long process. I understand the stress behind it, but we have to do it as leaders. We will make the right decisions for the kids, families and facilities,” said Edmondson.
Marion-Franklin High School is one of several schools that could close.
Melanie Rawlins, a social worker at the high school, said one of her biggest concerns about the school closing is the students not attending school anymore.
“I talked to so many parents who work third shift, or first and have to be in before they can drop their kid off at school. I talked to so many students who said, 'I won’t be able to go to school anymore,' and that is not an option,” said Rawlins.
According to the scenarios from the task force, if Marion-Franklin High School closes, then students would go to South High School. 10TV drove that route on Tuesday and it is a little over three miles, takes eight minutes to drive and is a little over an hour to walk. Rawlins said a lot of her students walk to school.
“We are looking at numbers, and just assuming, if they moved us, then all of us would attend all the time. But, that’s just a poor assumption,” said Rawlins.
In another scenario, Duxberry Park Arts Impact Elementary School would close and students would go to Fort Hayes High School. That’s a little over 3.5 miles, a 9-minute drive and a one-hour and 15-minute walk.
The CCS superintendent's task force has a couple more meetings to finalize the list of school closings and consolidations. Then, next Tuesday, the task force will present that list to the school board.