COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first day of school is exciting for many reasons, but at Columbus City Schools, this year is starting a little bit different. For CCS students, the first day will be online.
Students won’t be entering a classroom while members of the Columbus Education Association are on strike. The District said if students miss a day, it will count as an unexcused absence. The district said a strike is not an acceptable excuse for missing class.
Parents that spoke with 10TV are torn between having their students attend the first day of class or not.
Christy Haynes said her son will be starting his freshman year at Columbus Alternative High School. But, Haynes said she and her son will stand in solidarity with the teacher’s union.
Haynes said students have been through enough over the past few years with the COVID-19 pandemic and that they shouldn’t have to suffer anymore.
"The teachers make the school, they're what get the kids excited, that's what he wants,” she said.
Other parents tell us it’s non-negotiable that their kids start school on time.
"I agree with what the teachers are doing., I back them 100%, but my kids will be online. They do not miss school unless they are sick,” Nataeria Scales said.
She and her husband Jonathan have a son who will be a senior and a daughter who will be a sophomore. Both students attend Fort Hayes High School.
Preparation for them looks like having their kids ready to log on by 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"I know teachers have to get their money, I know they have to balance budgets, but the kids are not the bargaining chip. That needs to be taken care of. They need to come together and figure it out,” Jonathan Scales said.
Parents that spoke with 10TV hope both sides can resolve the issue, and hope that it is fixed soon.
"It's not going to feel anything like a first day and it's sad, but to me, the gains that we're getting from this are worth it,” Haynes said.