COLUMBUS, Ohio — A second special meeting was held Thursday night for the Columbus City Schools Board of Education to discuss each of the nine schools proposed to be shut down by the task force.
During the three-hour meeting, each of the board members who took part in visiting those schools had time to share what they heard, saw and experienced at each school.
Board members Tina Pierce and Brandon Simmons, who did not take part in the visits, sat and listened to their colleagues.
The nine schools the CCS facilities task force proposed to be shut down include Broadleigh Elementary School, Buckeye Middle School, Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys (Eastmoor Middle Facility), Fairwood Elementary School, Lindbergh Elementary School, Columbus Alternative High School (McGuffey Facility), Moler Elementary School, North Linden Elementary School and West Broad Elementary School.
Some of the common positives they shared about the schools included a strong sense of community and a committed staff and administration.
The board also addressed a number of challenges they saw within each school, which included significant structural concerns, outdated and deteriorating buildings and a lack of ADA compliance.
While board members noted some schools had an issue of overcrowding within classrooms and spaces, like Columbus Alternative High School, other buildings are experiencing low enrollment and underutilization of space, like Fairwood Elementary.
At the end of the meeting, each member agreed they believed they were on track with this decision process. Board Vice President Tina Pierce then expressed a goal to make final decisions about these buildings before the end of the year.
Board President Christina Vera then shared whether she believes the board is ready to make that call.
"These are seven individuals, and so I think, you know, we heard tonight in terms of, what else do you need, and it was very clearly articulated that they have what they need. So, I think at this point, it's about making sure that we continue to engage with our families, our community, work alongside the superintendent for any additional follow-ups in terms of data and information and then prepare for next month's meeting agendas,” Vera said.
Vera said the format for the vote has not yet been finalized but the board will likely go through each school as its own agenda item to be voted on.