Two Columbus City Schools Set to Close After 2025-2026 Academic Year
Columbus City Schools (CCS) has released a detailed, phased plan for closing five school buildings following a decision made by the Board of Education in December 2024. (CCS) has released a detailed, phased plan for closing five school buildings following a decision made by the Board of Education in December 2024.
The plan was formally presented on June 3 by Superintendent Angela Chapman, who emphasized that the process is complex and will involve significant community engagement at every stage.
The board had previously voted to close Broadleigh Elementary, Buckeye Middle School, Moler Elementary, and the building that currently houses Columbus Alternative High School.
Additionally, the board approved the closure of West Broad Elementary, but only on the condition that funding can be secured to rebuild the school on its existing site. The district also plans to close its administrative offices located at 270 E. State Street.
According to Chapman, CCS now has a clearer understanding of how to move forward with the closures. She noted that such major transitions require thoughtful planning and cannot be carried out in isolation or rushed. “This work does not happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” she said.
The closure plan will unfold in four phases. In the first phase, Broadleigh and Moler elementary schools are expected to close at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Students from Broadleigh will be reassigned to Eastgate, East Columbus, and Fairmoor elementary schools. Moler students will be relocated to Livingston and Lincoln Park elementary schools.
The district has committed to supporting students who require special education and English Language Learning services to ensure they continue to receive appropriate support during and after the transition.
Before closing, both Broadleigh and Moler will hold commemorative events and engagement sessions with families to honor the school communities. Chapman stressed the importance of maintaining transparency and involving families in the process.
She also announced that students from the two schools will have access to a preferential lottery system if they wish to attend other schools within the district.
Phases two and three of the plan focus on Buckeye Middle School and the McGuffey Road facility that houses Columbus Alternative High School. During the 2025-2026 school year, the district will continue working with community members to determine the best path forward for these two buildings.
Although Buckeye students were initially slated to move to Marion-Franklin High School, CCS officials now believe that site would be underutilized and could create issues by mixing middle and high school grade levels.
Instead, the district will explore options to standardize grade configurations across all high schools, including South High School and Marion-Franklin.
For Columbus Alternative High School, early proposals suggested relocating the program to either Downtown High School or East High School. However, East High may not have the capacity in the long term, due to projected enrollment increases from its feeder schools.
The final phase of the closure plan focuses on West Broad Elementary. CCS reiterated that no transition plan will be made for that site until a reliable source of funding is identified to rebuild the school.
Once funding is secured, the planning and construction process could take up to three years, according to Chief of Strategy and Performance Russell Brown.
Throughout the presentation, district leaders made it clear that their goal is to be deliberate, inclusive, and transparent in how they carry out these closures. The emphasis remains on minimizing disruption to students and families while planning responsibly for the future of the district.
