CCS Holds 1st Public Meeting On Closings, Reassignment

1st CCS Meeting (Added: November 11, 2009)

Students, teachers, parents and community members fight to keep schools open. (more)

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CCS Holds 1st Public Meeting On Closings, Reassignment

Students, teachers, parents and community members came out Tuesday for the district's first public meeting on building closings and student reassignment.

By: NBC4i Staff | NBC4i.com
Published: November 11, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Passionate pleas filled the auditorium of East High School Tuesday night as members of the community fought to keep the doors of schools open at Columbus City School's first public meeting on the consolidation plan.

Last November, the district promised voters it would shut down six schools if the levy passed.

All of the criteria, maps of zones and the template used in the last process are available on the district’s Web site at http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/index.html.

An external oversight committee narrowed the list of schools proposed for closure last week. A minimum of six were to be chosen for closure.

Elementary Schools
- Deshler at 1234 E. Deshler Ave.
- Douglas at 43 Douglass St.
- Fair Alternative at 1395 Fair Ave.
- Literature Based Alternative@Hubbard at 104 W. Hubbard Ave.

Middle Schools
- Beery at 2740 Lockbourne Rd.
- Clinton at 3940 Karl Rd.
- Eastmoor at 3450 Medway Ave.
- Franklin Alternative at 1390 Bryden Rd.
- Indianola Math, Science, and Techinical at 420 E. 19th Ave.

A group of students from Fair Alternative came ready to defend their school and were armed with posters.

"I don't want them to close our school. There's a lot of history inside of it," Fair Alternative student Azana Williams said.

"It's my favorite school I've ever been to because the other schools I went to, they never had art, drama, dance or music," Fair Alternative student Keiajaah Love said.

The final consolidation plan was be presented to the school board next month.

If approved, reassignments were to start next school year.

The rest of the meetings were scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on the following dates at the following locations:
- Thursday, Nov. 12 at Walnut Ridge High School at 4841 E. Livingston Ave.
- Monday, Nov. 16 at West High School at 179 S. Powell Ave.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Northland High School at 1919 Northcliff Dr.
- Monday, Nov. 23 at Marion-Franklin High School at 1265 Koebel Rd.

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