COLUMBUS, Ohio — We continue to follow the major changes happening at Columbus City Schools.
Many parents call it a painful but necessary change as CCS officials continue with their plans to close and consolidate schools across the district.
On Tuesday, the board voted to close 5 out of 9 schools that were on the chopping block.
The schools set to close are:
- Broadleigh Elementary
- Moler Elementary
- West Broad Elementary
- Buckeye Middle School
- McGuffey Facility
We spoke to parents in the area. Some are for, others are against, and some are somewhere in the middle.
It’s a tough decision, but parents like Amanda say they understand. She received a letter from her child’s school about the major changes coming.
“They decided to go forward with it based on the fact of the structure of the building,” said Amanda.
Her child attends West Broad Elementary. Amanda says she loves sending her daughter there.
“They are like a community; I don’t even have to tell them that I am there for my daughter when I come and get her. They know me by name,” she said.
The doors will remain open and operational throughout the 2026 academic year.
“If they are going to remodel it, I am ok with that, but I would like at least half of the school for the school year,” she said.
School officials say the building is more than a century old and needs to be updated.
The district says they will have to finalize the funding source for a new West Broad Elementary School before temporarily relocating the staff and the students.
Right now, there is no timeline for when that will happen.
“I am a parent that doesn’t have a license or car to send my child to another school, and then I also worry that sending my child to another school may be unsafe for them, or they will be bullied,” said Amanda.