As Columbus school closure decision looms, parents, kids ask school board to pause process
The Columbus City school board once again heard from concerned parents and community members Tuesday as a potential board vote on closing as many as 20 buildings could come next week.
The board did not take any action Tuesday on the proposals presented by the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force last month, which included the possibility of closing up to 20 CCS schools under nine different recommended scenarios.
Superintendent Angela Chapman said the the task force will be coming to the board next Tuesday and providing their final recommendations.
"They have certainly looked at the feedback and reviewed the feedback from the community, and will be providing recommendations," Chapman said.
More: Columbus City Schools could close up to 20 schools. Here's what to know about each of them
Although there are nine proposals, some are alternates of each other and the board may or may not approve any or all of them. Over a number of meetings earlier this year, the task force considered factors such as building utilization, or how full a building is, transportation data and whether a building has been aging without substantial renovation, The Dispatch previously reported.
Community, children urge pause to closure process, spare schools
Rayan Khatouf, a 10-year-old Cranbrook Elementary student, said he stayed up all night wondering where he would go if his school closed.
"If you guys split me up with my best friend, my heart will also split," Khatouf said. "You guys are trying to destroy the biggest memories of my life, you are trying to split up my family of more than 200 students."
More than a dozen people attended the meeting in support of East High School, which is proposed for either closure or to use the building as a new home for Columbus Alternative High School. Ruciana Fleming, an East High School alumnus and district teacher, urged the board not to shutter the school and said East High is "not just a building, it's a legacy."
"The students in our community who attend East High School have remained loyal to the school, loyal to the community and loyal to the Columbus school district," Fleming said. "They didn't go to a charter school — they stayed. Don't repay them by kicking them out of the school in their community."
More: As Columbus Schools looks at closing schools, it already maintains 12 closed properties
Stuart McIntyre, a member of the Columbus Education Justice Coalition, said that among all the parents and community members he's spoken with, "nearly everyone agrees that big decisions do have to be made, including consolidation and restructuring."
"But you haven't provided a single good reason to rush (the decision)," McIntyre said. "If you make these decisions alone, you impose them on the community — all of us will pay the price for your mistakes."
District closure decision could come next week
While the board did not take action on closures Monday, a decision could come at a meeting next Tuesday when the task force makes final recommendations to the board. The board has a final meeting on June 25 to close the books for the school year and does not return to session until Aug. 6.
The facilities task force also has a final meeting scheduled for June 25, according to its CCS webpage.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus school closures: Residents urge pause, possible vote next week
