Here's which Columbus schools are closing — and what happens next
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The Columbus Board of Education voted this week to close five schools after months of debate and infighting — and now the hard part begins.
Why it matters: Hundreds of families will be impacted as district leaders spend the next year deciding where students and staff will move.
- The transfers will change the fabric of several neighborhoods.
Zoom in: The affected schools are Columbus Alternative High, Buckeye Middle and Broadleigh, Moler, and West Broad elementaries.
- Combined, they enroll over 2,000 students and employ over 120 teachers, per state data.
- Caveat: The board only agreed to close West Broad if funding is allocated to replace it.
Plus: The district's downtown offices at 270 E. State St. will shutter before the end of the academic year. Staff will consolidate into the South Side administrative building at 3700 S. High St., where school board meetings have already moved.
The big picture: Large cities nationwide are grappling with underpopulated public schools, forcing districts to make difficult, unpopular decisions, Axios' April Rubin reports.
Between the lines: Columbus City Schools has mulled the contentious issue on and off since 2016, but this is the first time a board has gone forward with closure recommendations.
What they're saying: Some community members advocated against the closures before Tuesday's vote, with one parent criticizing its timing just before the holidays.
- The district teachers union also issued a scathing statement Wednesday, stating the board "should feel shame … but we are confident they will not. It is the Board, even more than our oldest school buildings, that is crumbling and needs to be rebuilt."
The other side: "We fully recognize the emotional weight of this decision and the impact it has on everyone involved," board President Christina Vera said in a statement.
- "Please know that we are committed to approaching every step of this process with sensitivity, compassion, and respect for the students, families, and educators who make Columbus City Schools exceptional."
What's next: The district must redraw school attendance boundaries and decide where impacted students and employees will go.
- Superintendent Angela Chapman will establish a "transition team" to support families and staff and provide monthly updates during school board meetings.
- Closures would occur in the 2026-27 school year at the earliest.