Tina Green and other parents of students who will be attending West Broad Elementary School were planning a “walking school bus,” or a way for parents to make sure their kids get to the Hilltop area school safely during the new school year.
But now that Columbus City Schools is proposing school closings for West Broad and eight other buildings as part of the district’s consolidation process, she is asking herself what the point is for the parents group to try to better a school that might close.
“We put in so much work trying to do things (for West Broad),” Green said. “To know the school is closing, it’s like all that work we’ve put in is pointless.”
West Broad Elementary School is just one of several Columbus City School buildings that have been proposed for closure. The concerns of its parents and advocates mirror those from buildings slated for closure across the district, saying the shutdowns could irreparably damage their neighborhoods and children’s educational experiences.
At a Columbus City school board meeting in June, the Superintendent’s Facilities Task Force recommended that the board consider closing six elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school building. In May, the task force presented options where up to 20 possible school buildings in the state’s largest district could be closed under nine recommended scenarios . Since announcing the proposed finalists, the board has been on break and is set to return on Tuesday.