Joe Peffer is Your Realtor
Chat with Joe
Why Delicious Real Estate?
Why Columbus?
Columbus City Schools Update – Closings – Awards – Annual Report
October 29th, 2009 categories: Columbus News, For Home Buyers, For Home Sellers
Click here for a link to both the Financial and Academic Annual Report for the Columbus City School District
The idea of school closings can terrify a community. Many local neighborhood schools in the City of Columbus, however, are experiencing declining attendance. No community wants to see a giant unused building in the middle of it where a school used to reside but the bright side here is that the district has a plan. In the end, I believe that the plan will benefit all Columbus City School students.
Any real estate novice will tell you that good schools are good for local housing and great schools are great for resale. At the same time, a re-purposed school building, as opposed to a vacant one, will benefit a neighborhood–maybe even more than the original school. My hope is that, aside from temporary housing for other schools, any of these schools that do end up closing can become active participants in the community in which they reside and in a fashion benefiting the neighborhood.
District to Make Good on Levy Promise to Close Six Schools, Community Informational Meetings Dates Announced
As promised to voters, the district is developing a new K-12 student assignment plan, which makes effective use of the school buildings through balanced enrollment, aligned school feeder patterns, and high-quality academic programming at every school.
With the guidance of the Columbus City Schools (CCS) Board of Education policy,3226.1, the district has also committed to closing at least six school buildings.
This BOE policy establishes specific criteria for building closure including such factors as student enrollment trends, ability to maintain feeder patterns, educational programs, capacity, safety and access, relocation, diversity, accessibility, age and condition, and other factors.
Following the task force’s final recommendations, community meetings will be held to gather public comment throughout November before a final vote by the board in December. Pending community input and Columbus Board of Education approval, a modified reassignment plan would go into effect in for 2010-11 school year.
Click here for upcoming community meeting locations and dates, as well as the most up-to-date information.
Six Columbus Schools Named as Schools of Promise
Six Columbus schools have earned the designation of Schools of Promiseby the Ohio Department of Education. It is the largest number of any district in the state. All public elementary and secondary schools that administer the Ohio Achievement Test and the Ohio Graduation Test and receive a report card rating were considered for the recognition. A total 134 schools were named 2008-09 Schools of Promise.
“Columbus City Schools (CCS) is committed to providing a strong system of learning support that includes academic rigor,” said Columbus Superintendent Gene T. Harris, Ph.D., adding that the recognition is an honor for all the students and the staff districtwide.
The 2008-09 honorees (and the number of years as a School of Promise) are:
- Alpine ES (1)
- Berwick ES (2)
- Centennial HS (4)
- Columbus Alternative HS (5)
- Eastmoor Academy HS (3)
- Fort Hayes Arts and Academic HS (5)
The ODE Schools of Promise program recognizes schools across Ohio that demonstrate high achievement in reading and mathematics for all groups of students, despite the fact that 40 percent or more of their students come from low-income backgrounds.
Students in these schools met or exceeded the state standard of 75 percent passage in reading and/or mathematics for the school year 2008-09, as well as the federal Adequate Yearly Progress requirement.
Click here to review the full selection criteria.
