With three open seats on the Board of Education and no incumbents defending them, November 4 isn’t a sleepy local race. There are six candidates, and the winners will be faced with helping rescue Columbus City Schools from its toughest stretch in decades. A $100 million budget deficit, plummeting enrollment, collapsing public trust and a growing rift between union teachers and the District’s administration.

It’s a reset moment that will determine whether Ohio’s largest District stabilizes, shrinks, or fractures entirely. Again, six candidates are vying for three seats, and their divisions mirror Columbus politics itself.

“Establishment” Democrat Party-endorsed slate:

● Patrick Katzenmeyer — husband of former City Councilmember and YWCA CEO Elizabeth Brown, and son of retired Greater Columbus Arts Council CEO Tom

Katzenmeyer. Katzenmeyer works for the developer the Pizzuti Companies, and his campaign funded by the Columbus Education PAC, which is a mix of CEOs and business leaders from Grange Insurance, Kokosing Construction and Mount Carmel Hospitals.

● Jermaine Kennedy — the activist page ZoneOut Corporatocracy Columbus believes the School Board for Kennedy would be a temporary pit stop before she moves on to City Council.

● Dr. Antoinette Miranda — a veteran of the Ohio State Board of Education (2017–2025). This past experience arguably makes her the most qualified candidate, but the establishment Dem endorsement suggests she supports cutting property taxes for ultra-rich real estate developers.

All three carry the Franklin County Democratic Party endorsement, with Katzenmeyer and Miranda also backed by the Columbus Education Association (CEA).

Union and progressive-aligned candidates:

● Janeece Keyes-Shanklin — endorsed by CEA and the Columbus Dispatch. She was asked by Ballotpedia, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?” She responded, “I am committed to public policies that expand access to Career Technical Education, giving students practical skills, industry knowledge, and real-world experience. By equipping students with these tools and opportunities, we can help them achieve economic self-sufficiency, long-term career success, and the ability to reach their full potential, while preparing students to meet the demands of today’s economy.”

● Mounir Lynch — endorsed by the Working Families Party, Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and Columbus Democrat Socialists of Columbus, among others. He was asked by Ballotpedia, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?” He responded, “Education justice, public health, reproductive rights, housing, racial justice, sexual and gender equity.”

● Dr. Antoinette Miranda — straddling both camps with dual party and Working Families Party endorsements.

Independent lane:

● Kimberly Mason — running a community-centered campaign backed by The Matriots, positioning herself for “bold changes centered on generational success.” She told Ballotpedia, “Corporate tax breaks often drain resources from our schools and those most vulnerable in our communities. We need to end corporate handouts that undermine our value proposition within Columbus City Schools, redirect those funds into an endowment sourced from business receiving tax abatements and offer abatements to community and non-profits organizations who work directly with Columbus City Schools.”

When it comes to Mounir Lynch and Kimberly Mason, some activists, such as Joe Motil, believe they are unafraid to challenge party machinery and bureaucratic complacency at a time when disruption, not deference, may be the only way forward.

Whoever wins won’t inherit seats — they’ll inherit triage. Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest District with nearly 45,000 students, is staring down a convergence of

crises that would test even seasoned policymakers.

A Structural Budget Gap

On August 19, Treasurer/CFO Stan Bahorek warned CCS is spending about $22 million more than it collects each year. The board voted to cut $50 million annually beginning FY 2027, a move Superintendent Angela Chapman admits could trigger school closures and consolidations. District officials have even floated cutting bus service to the high schools and making COTA their only transportation option to get to school.

With a $1.8 billion operating budget, this isn’t trimming fat — it’s slicing into bone.

Enrollment Collapse = Funding Collapse

From 2017–18 to 2022–23, CCS lost roughly 4,000 students — nearly 10 percent of its enrollment. Every departing student drags state funding out the door, even as the District continues to heat, staff, and maintain half-empty buildings. The crisis flipped from overcrowding to under-utilization and waste.

Aging Facilities

Despite a two-decade $694 million building campaign and a $125 million bond in 2016, the average CCS facility is now 50+ years old. Repairs are constant, breakdowns routine, and another round of closures is quietly being mapped.

Policy shocks from the Statehouse

The state’s aggressive EdChoice voucher expansion is bleeding students and dollars into private schools while requiring CCS to transport those same students. Public funds exit twice — once as tuition and again as busing costs.

Academic outcomes sliding back

The graduation rate has fallen from 83.3 to 78.9 percent. For a District already under financial siege, it’s a moral one too. If students aren’t graduating, budgets don’t matter.

A worthwhile debate – because our kids future is on the line

Earlier this month, at the North Central Area Commission candidate forum, Lynch, Mason, and Keyes faced the public’s anxiety head-on.

Lynch insisted on a full audit and leaner transportation system. Mason hammered oversight: “We can’t keep writing blank checks with no accountability.” Keyes warned against gutting programs that keep kids engaged: “The first cuts should be to administrative bloat, not student supports.” All spoke of “community partnerships” as lifelines, though none named who would pay for them.

When Lynch cited a study showing CCS loses $51 million a year to developer tax abatements, the room stirred. All agreed the state limits board power, but each promised to press City Hall for an education equity fund financed by new developments.

Lynch called the District website “impossible to navigate.” Mason noted student data had been “quietly removed.” Keyes urged that transparency means parents in the room, not just pretty charts. All vowed rotating meetings and open mics for the public.

Lynch dubbed the current “literary crisis” a “public health emergency.” Mason pushed workforce readiness. Keyes focused on transportation and social services. Different lanes, same alarm bell.

As the forum ended, candidates offered closing pleas. Keyes vowed to protect teachers. Mason promised to protect taxpayers. Lynch promised to protect students — by telling the truth, even when it hurts.

The crowd of twenty-something applauded quietly as chairs clattered. Small as it was, the room mirrored a bigger truth: the future of Columbus schools won’t be decided by corporate donors or party machines, but by everyday voters who still believe public education is worth fighting for.

The Free Press has covered Columbus schools for decades. What this election demands is not politeness but backbone.

● Mounir Lynch brings unvarnished fiscal honesty and a progressive mandate to rebuild trust. His Working Families Party endorsement signals he’ll push equity without kowtowing to party lines. He speaks with urgency about literacy and accountability in the same breath — a rare balance.

● Kimberly Mason represents the kind of community-rooted independence this board desperately needs. Her Matriots endorsement and “future generational success” platform speak to parents who’ve been ignored too long. She won’t rubber-stamp the status quo — and she won’t back down from hard truths.

Together, they bring authenticity without allegiance — the two qualities Columbus City Schools has most lacked.

The Road Ahead

The next School Board won’t just debate policy — it will decide:

● Which schools stay open and which close.

● Where to cut and where to invest.

● Whether to stand up to developers and state mandates that drain District coffers.

Get any of those calls wrong, and Columbus could redraw its public education map for an entire generation.