This month the Superintendent’s Community Facilities Task Force presented a plan where up to 20 possible Columbus school buildings face the possibility of closure under nine different recommended scenarios.
While there are nine proposals, some are alternates of each other and the Board of Education 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.
A tale of two schools: Columbus City Schools board highlights potential for consolidation
Under some of the task force recommendations, specialty programs like Columbus Alternative High School or Duxberry Arts Impact Elementary may move to a different building or may consolidate at another school.
Also included is each school’s Ohio Department of Education state report cards, including how many stars out of five possible each school received overall and how many they received in the progress category, which measures how well a school is improving year-over-year.
You can see each scenario broken down in full on the CCS website, where you can also offer feedback on individual proposals.
Broadleigh Elementary
Under one proposal, Broadleigh Elementary, on the East Side, would close and consolidate with area schools.
CCS Preparatory School for Boys
Under a proposal for the Boys Preparatory program, the school would close the current location at the former Eastmoor Middle School and begin operating as a separate school located within the CCS Preparatory School for Girls, on the Near East Side.
At just 23.2% full, the CCS Preparatory School for Boys is the the most under-utilized CCS school.
Buckeye Middle School
Under one proposal, Buckeye Middle School on the South Side would close and middle school students would attend a new Marion Franklin Middle School.
Cranbrook Elementary
Under proposals, Cranbrook Elementary, on the Northwest Side, would close and consolidate with area schools.
Columbus Alternative High School (building)
Under one proposal, Columbus Alternative High School would close its current location on McGuffey Road in North Linden and move to the current site of Downtown High School, which would merge with Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center. Another proposal has Columbus Alternative High School moving to the current East High School site.
Columbus Alternative High School was recently named among the top in the state by U.S. News and World Report.
Columbus Gifted Academy Program
In one proposal, the Columbus Gifted Academy would move to Dominion Middle School and Oakland Park Elementary School. In another scenario, the Columbus Gifted Academy would moved to Ridgeview Middle School after that school consolidates with Dominion Middle School. The current location in Italian Village would close.
Duxbery Park Arts Impact Elementary
Under one scenario, Fort Hayes would take on students from Duxberry Park Arts Impact Elementary, creating a K-12 arts program on the Fort Hayes campus. In another proposal, Duxberry students would return to their home school or combine with Fort Hayes. The current Duxberry school is on the Northeast Side.
Fairwood Elementary
Under proposals, Fairwood Elementary, in Driving Park, is expected to close and consolidate with other area K-6 schools.
Hubbard Elementary
Under proposals, Hubbard Elementary, built in 1896 in Victorian Village, would close alongside Cranbrook Elementary and consolidate with area schools.
Innis Elementary
Under one proposal, Innis Elementary, on the city’s Northeast Side, would be consolidate with other schools in the area.
Johnson Park Middle School
Under one proposal East High School would take on Eastmoor Academy, and the boundary of East High School would be adjusted. The current Eastmoor Academy building would become a middle school taking students from Johnson Park and Sherwood Middle Schools, which would both eventually close.
Lindbergh Elementary
Lindbergh, alongside West Broad and Valleyview Elementary Schools, would consolidate with other area elementary schools under one proposal. Lindbergh is located on the West Side.
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Year opened: 1958
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Utilization: 78.7 (236 students for 300 capacity)
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State report cards: 3.5 stars overall, five stars in progress
North Linden Elementary
North Linden Elementary would close and consolidate with other area schools under one proposal.
Northtowne Elementary
Northetowne Elementary, in Northland, would close and consolidate under one proposal.
Marion-Franklin High School
Under one proposal, South High School becomes the regional high school taking high school students from Marion-Franklin. Marion-Franklin High School, on the South Side, would eventually close.
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Year opened: 1951
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Utilization: 43.8% (443 students for 1,012 capacity)
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State report cards: 1.5 stars overall, one star in progress, 1 star in graduation
Moler Elementary
Under two different proposals Moler, Siebert and Fairwood elementary schools are expected to consolidate with other area elementary schools. Moler is on the South Side.
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Year opened: 1967
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Utilization: 65.5% (311 students out of 475)
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State report cards: 2.5 stars overall, 3 stars in progress)
Sherwood Middle School
Under one proposal, East High School would take Eastmoor Academy, and the boundary of East High School would adjust. The current Eastmoor Academy building would become a middle school, taking on students from Johnson Park and Sherwood middle schools, which would both eventually close.
Siebert K-6 Elementary
Under two different proposals, Siebert, Fairwood and Moler elementary schools are expected to consolidate with other area elementary schools.
At 120% occupancy, Siebert Elementary, in Merion Village, is the most over-capacity school in the district.
Valleyview Elementary
Valleyview, alongside Lindbergh, and West Broad elementary schools, would consolidate with other area elementary schools under one proposal. Valleyview is on the city’s Far West Side.
West Broad Elementary
West Broad, alongside Lindbergh and Valleyview elementary schools, would consolidate with other area elementary schools under one proposal. West Broad Elementary is on the West Side.
@Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Your guide to the 20 proposed Columbus City school closures
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