One week until the final list of school closures for CCS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus City School District’s Superintendent of Community Facilities Task Force met Tuesday afternoon to finalize the list of closing and consolidating schools.

Al Edmondson, co-chair of the task force, said he wants people to have confidence in the decision-making.

“It’s a long process. I understand the stress involved, but we have to do it as leaders. We will make the right decisions for children, families and facilities,” Edmondson said.

Marion-Franklin High School is one of several schools that may close.

Melanie Rawlins, a social worker at the high school, said one of her biggest concerns about the school closing is that students will no longer attend school.

“I have talked to many parents who work third or first shift and have to be at work before they can take their child to school. “I’ve talked to a lot of students who have said, ‘I’m not going to be able to go to school anymore,’ but that’s not an option,” Rawlins said.

According to the task force’s scenarios, if Marion-Franklin High School closes, students would go to South High School. 10TV drove the route on Tuesday and it’s just over three miles, takes eight minutes to drive and just over an hour to walk. Rawlins said many of her students walk to school.

“We look at the numbers and just assume that if they moved us, we would all be present at all times. But that’s just a false assumption,” Rawlins said.

In another scenario, Duxberry Park Arts Impact Elementary School would close and students would go to Fort Hayes High School. It’s just over 3.5 miles, 9 minutes drive and 1 hour and 15 minutes walk.

The CCS superintendent’s task force has several more meetings to finalize the list of closing and consolidating schools. The task force will then present the list to the school board next Tuesday.

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