COLUMBUS, Ohio — Marion-Franklin High School students met with Columbus City Schools Board President Christina Vera on Tuesday to explain why they don't want to see their school close.
The district plans to close and consolidate several buildings, citing utilization as the reason why. The district says some schools are below capacity and others are above.
School Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman cautioned the community earlier this month that the plan to close schools is far from over.
“We want our community leaders and parents to provide us with feedback cause these are not the final recommendations,” she said.
Marion-Franklin High School is on the preliminary list of schools to possibly close.
A student at the meeting Tuesday said Marion-Franklin is more than a school for the students who go there.
“It’s a culture thing," said junior Aaris Billingsley. "We built a culture here. The students that came in when I came I feel like we wanted to change what Marion-Franklin was."
The students consider themselves family.
For many, it’s a family tradition to attend and graduate the school.
“My whole family graduated from here, so for it to be shut down possibly in the next couple of years so my little sister coming here won’t get to graduate from here? It’s like, dang you don’t get the opportunity to graduate from where we all did?” said Billingsley.
Right now in the recommendations by the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force, kids at Marion-Franklin would be transferred to South High School.
Kyonna Johnson, a junior at the high school said she won’t go to South High School if Marion-Franklin shuts down.
“I built some bonds with the teachers and a lot of the students. If the teachers don’t get transferred to the same school or the students don’t go to the same school, then basically I have to restart a friend group,” said Johnson.
About 25 students got the opportunity to meet with Vera. Vera said she attended the meeting so the kids know their voices are important.
“Their opinions matter, their voices matter in this process. They shared about what they want to see in their high school experience,” said Vera.
Vera said hearing from the students has been helpful to her understanding of the meaning of the school in the community.
“I’m walking away feeling inspired for what they shared, and you know, inspired for the future of not only our district but workforce and community,” said Vera.
Melanie Rawlins, a social worker at Marion-Franklin organized the meeting. She said she feels good about the conversations had.
“I don’t think anyone can communicate the concerns of the community any better than the kids that live here,” said Rawlins.
She hopes the board remembers the kids' voice when they make a decision about the closures.
“Without this, our community falls apart, and this part of the city loses its identity. I hope they understand this isn’t just about the building but it's about the heartbeat of this area,” said Rawlins.