The Columbus Board of Education held its first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, marking the introduction of three new board members and electing members to key leadership roles, including Dr. Antoinette Miranda as board President.
Before entering into the official business of the New Year, the board held its organizational meeting. Joining the board are three new members Patrick Katzenmeyer, Dr. Jermaine Kennedy, and Dr. Antoinette Miranda, who were sworn in by Columbus City Schools (CCS) Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Ryan Cook.
As part of the reorganization, the new board elected its leadership team for 2026. Dr. Miranda was elected Board President.
Dr. Miranda provided additional insight into the board’s work, saying, “Tonight marks a new day for the Columbus City School District. Not because our challenges have disappeared, but because we are choosing to face them. This work will be difficult. The choices will not always be popular. But if we do this together with honesty and urgency, Columbus City Schools will not just confront what lies ahead. We will chart a new course toward a future worthy of our children. That work begins now.”
Ingles was elected to serve in the role of Vice President for 2026.
“I’m excited to be Vice President and to support our new President in her role,” Ingles said.
“I think she’s going to be phenomenal and really lead us as a true leader for the district. She’s the right person for the right time. It is my goal as Vice President to be there to fully support her, to supplement her work, to carry on some of the legacies of prior boards, and build a future that is sustainable and worthy for our students here in Columbus City Schools.”
“I hope to leave a legacy of right-sizing the district to meet the needs of the students and that we improve our academic report card to be in the top percentile of similarly sized districts nationally,” Dr. Kennedy said.
“I hope that we expand programmatic offerings and pathways for our graduates, hopefully with graduation rates of 80% or higher and with tangible plans moving forward.”
“I am very excited to be on the board and work with the board members to figure out everyone’s interests,” said Katzenmeyer.
“I really love learning, and I’ve viewed this whole opportunity as incredibly educational and look forward to continuing my education that I’ve had over the last year.”
The next Columbus Board of Education business meeting will be held on January 27, 2026.
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