Columbus City Schools is weighing another round of campus closures, mergers and building moves as district leaders work to cut at least $50 million from the operating budget, according to a district plan summary reported by Focal News. The proposals, presented Oct. 12 at a community town hall at the Fort Hayes Performing Arts Theatre, are not final, and officials stressed that Board of Education review and community input will come before any decisions.
The Board of Education has directed administrators to identify at least $50 million in operating cuts for the coming school year, Focal News reported. The district has already reduced spending by about $67.5 million between 2025 and 2027, including staffing and administrative cuts, non-personnel spending, transportation and school operations.
For the past two years, Columbus City Schools has used financial reserves to pay routine expenses, according to Focal News. Officials say those reserves are declining and could be depleted by 2030 without further reductions, and Superintendent and CEO Angela Chapman said the district is facing a second $50 million round of cuts after identifying the first.
The numbers behind the building debate are stark. The district says it has 109 academic facilities with capacity for about 57,000 students, while current enrollment is 44,056 — roughly 13,000 seats unused and districtwide building utilization at about 77%, Focal News reported. Chief of Strategy and Performance Russell Brown said the goal is to use buildings more efficiently and concentrate programs and resources while maintaining student services.
For 2027-28, the district is proposing to close Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls and Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys as operating schools, Focal News reported. Columbus Gifted Academy would move into the Franklin Middle School building, and Adult & Community Education and the district Support Center would move into the Eastmoor Middle School building — changes the district estimates would save about $4.1 million.
Other proposals would merge the Duxberry Park Arts Impact Elementary program into Sullivant Elementary and close the Duxberry building, close Siebert Elementary and send its students to Stewart, Southwood and other South Side elementary schools, and stop operating Highland Elementary as a school, with its students moving to West Mound and Burroughs, Focal News reported. Proposals for 2028-29 include moving Columbus Alternative High School to Columbus Downtown High School and converting the Mifflin High School building into a middle school.
Transportation is part of the math as well. The district routes more than 32,000 students daily, employs 375 drivers and budgets about $70 million a year for transportation, according to Focal News, and one option would reduce district-provided transportation for most high-school students, saving an estimated $6.5 million. Even with the building and transportation changes, officials say more than $30 million in additional reductions would still be needed.
Board President Antoinette Miranda said the decisions will affect students, families, educators and the wider community, and Chapman said the district intends to make changes rather than wait for its finances to improve, Focal News reported. The district says it will gather feedback through board and committee meetings, focus groups, smaller meetings, surveys and conversations with students before decisions are made — and Brown cautioned residents not to mistake the town-hall proposals for final board votes.