Columbus City Schools Working with Expert as it Resumes School Closing Process
Source: https://www.dispatch.com/
Columbus City Schools announced it is collaborating with Terrance Green, an educational leadership expert from the University of Texas at Austin, to evaluate the potential closure of up to nine school buildings. Board President Christina Vera stated that the school board will begin touring these buildings later this month. Green will provide research tools to help the district gather factual information about each school and assess the potential impacts of their closures on students, employees, and the community.
Vera emphasized that Terrance Green’s assistance is just one part of the broader data the district will consider in its school closure process. She highlighted the importance of a collaborative approach, stating, “We’re not interested in doing this in a vacuum.” The district had previously paused the closure process following a recommendation from the Superintendent’s Facilities Task Force to consider closing nine schools, a reduction from an earlier proposal of up to 20 schools. Columbus City Schools, the largest district in the state, has over 110 buildings. Initially, there were 20 schools considered for closure, but some with significant English as a Second Language (ESL) programs were excluded due to challenges in transitioning students.
Terrance Green, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, will assist Columbus City Schools in this process, bringing expertise in school closures and equity audits. During a recent meeting, he introduced tools designed to help the district approach the closure discussions with a focus on equity and thorough research. His offerings include targeted surveys, statistical analysis, and guidance for effectively touring the nine schools under consideration. Terrance Green emphasized the importance of a systematic, research-based approach to the school closure process, stating that it’s crucial to learn from evidence rather than assumptions.
During the meeting, board members raised concerns about the limited analysis of the nine proposed buildings, noting that the process initiated by the task force had flaws. Member Jennifer Adair expressed worry that the scrutiny would not adequately reflect community input. Green acknowledged the process’s shortcomings and suggested that broader community engagement ideally should have occurred earlier. He noted that while the current work is important, a more comprehensive strategy could still be considered moving forward.
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