By Okon Ekpenyong

In an effort to provide high-quality education, the Columbus City Schools Superintendent’s Community Facilities Task Force has recommended the closure of nine schools, including Broadleigh Elementary School, Buckeye Middle School, Eastmoor Middle Facility (Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys building), Fairwood Elementary School, Lindbergh Elementary School, McGuffey Facility (CAHS building), Moler Elementary School, North Linden Elementary School and West Broad Elementary School.

“After more than six months of a comprehensive and meticulous process evaluating data and reviewing community feedback, the Superintendent’s Community Facilities Task Force presented its final recommendations for realigning District facilities during the Columbus Board of Education business meeting on June 2,” said Columbus City Schools Communications office in a media alert.  

These recommendations presented by the Task Force demonstrate a commitment to the District’s mission and aim to provide high-quality education and more effective and efficient teaching and learning opportunities for all students by standardizing grade bands, increasing access to academic and extracurricular activities, providing equitable services, and honoring prior taxpayer investments.  

During the presentation, the Task Force presented final recommendations for school closures, consolidations, and grade band standardization.

 Recommendations for School Closures: 

1. Broadleigh Elementary School: Students will join Eastgate, East Columbus, and Fairmoor Elementary School communities. This transition will maintain the quality of education and provide students with a broader range of academic and extracurricular opportunities.
2. Buckeye Middle School: Students will move to Marion-Franklin High School, creating a 6-12 grade site. *
3. Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys: Students will join the Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls.
4. Fairwood Elementary School: Students will join the Ohio Avenue and Livingston Elementary School communities.
5. Lindbergh Elementary School: Students will join the communities of the Binns, Burroughs, and West Mound Elementary School.
6. Moler Elementary School: Students will join the Lincoln Park and Livingston Elementary School communities.
7. North Linden Elementary School: Students will join the Huy, Maize, Innis, and Northtowne School communities.
8. West Broad Elementary School: Students will join the Westgate, Highland, and Valleyview Elementary School communities.
9. McGuffey Road Facility: Columbus Alternative High School will move its programming to East High School.

 Recommendations for Realignment of Grade Bands:

1. Buckeye Middle School: Students will move to Marion-Franklin High School, creating a 6-12 grade site. *
2. Linden-McKinley STEM Academy: Consolidate sixth-grade students from the feeder pattern, creating a 6-12 grade site.
3. South 7-12: Consolidate sixth-grade students from the South feeder pattern, creating a 6-12 grade site.
4. Starling Pre-K-8: Merge sixth through eighth-grade students into Westmoor and Hilltonia Middle School.

Recommended Facility Closure:

• Central Education Center: Close the 270 E. State Street location and move operations to 3700 S. High Street.

 The Task Force is recommending that the realignment of school facilities be done in phases: 

“The Task Force’s work is now complete,” said Task Force Co-Chair Jim Negron. The Columbus Board of Education will review these recommendations as part of its decision-making process, taking into account the needs and concerns of our community. We made progress, we made our recommendations.” 

“Tonight, we heard the Task Force’s final recommendations, and I want to remind everyone that this is about the vision, the future, and the success of our students in our District. It is less about a facility and the conditions of our buildings,” said Columbus City Schools Superintendent/CEO Dr. Angela Chapman. “This is about providing our students the opportunities they need to succeed. The opportunities they need to compete academically and athletically. We know that we need to make some changes, and now we need to engage with our community around the best pathway forward.” 

The District is committed to framing the benefits of aligning its facilities to its academic vision. 

Academic Benefits for Elementary Schools

• Implement 21st-century learning environments
• Enhance academic opportunities with more technology and course offerings
• Increase extracurricular activities and clubs
• Raise staffing levels
• Expected completion: Multiple years

 Academic Benefits for Middle Schools

• Expand course offerings
• Introduce more career pathways
• Provide extended learning opportunities
• Expected completion: Requires additional time

 Academic Benefits for High Schools

• Increase access to specialized teachers
• Enhance social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health supports
• Provide more intervention and enrichment opportunities
• Expand college and career pathway supports
• Expected completion: Requires the most time

 The Board will plan to enhance further community engagement and gather additional feedback. During the meeting, the Board passed a resolution to actively seek additional community input, reaffirming its commitment to the CCS community. The Columbus Board of Education will vote on the final recommendations at a later date, with the assurance that feedback has been carefully considered. A timeline for implementing Board-approved changes will also be established, underscoring its commitment to the community. 

“It’s critically important to this process to ensure that we have conversations with our students, families, team members, and community,” said Board President Christina Vera. “We want to take the time to ensure that we are thinking about all the moving pieces behind the vision of the District and these recommendations to ensure that what [students] need and what [students] want to see happen in this District is at the forefront of this work. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Task Force and the CCS community for their active participation and invaluable input, which has greatly contributed to developing these recommendations.” 

The Task Force began its work in February and presented its preliminary recommendations on May 7. The next phase involved engaging with the community during scheduled forums to facilitate open dialogue, gather feedback, and understand the potential impact of these changes on our students and their families. All materials, including the Task Force scenarios presented to the Board on May 7, are posted on the District website at (ccsoh.us), providing full access to its thorough work.

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