n response to the district’s ongoing budget shortfall and the possibility of additional school closures, the Columbus Education Justice Coalition (CEJC) and a broad coalition of parents, educators, students, and community members are demanding that the Columbus Board of Education adopt a new budget shortfall policy that centers transparency, equity, and community voice in all major financial and facility decisions.
Letters have been individually sent by educators, parents, students, and community members to Board members, urging the district to publicly discuss and consider the proposed Budget Shortfall Policy submitted by CEJC on September 8, 2025, and move toward formal adoption without delay.
The proposed policy calls for:
A robust and transparent analysis of all projected costs and savings for any proposed school closure.
Consideration of the full impact on students, families, educators, and communities, including staff and resource access.
Creation of a representative decision-making committee with students, parents, educators, staff, and community organizers from each school region and high school feeder pattern.
Meaningful and accessible community engagement, including publicized town halls and language access for New American families.
A clear plan to minimize harm caused by any closures, grounded in research and best practices.
CECE emphasizes that after years of failed facilities processes and widespread community distrust of the existing school closure and consolidation policy (po 7105), the district must commit to a new approach rooted in accountability and justice.
“Our students and families have carried the burden of instability for far too long,” said Izetta Thomas, Director and Lead Organizer of the Columbus Education Justice Coalition. “If the school board truly values equity, then decisions about budget shortfalls and school closures must be made with - not for- our communities. This policy ensures that students, families, and educators have a real voice in shaping the future of our schools.”
Parents from across the district have voiced concern that proposed closures and transportation cuts will disproportionately affect Black, brown, and working-class neighborhoods. At Duxberry Park Arts Impact Elementary School, one of the schools identified as being at risk, families are speaking out about the loss of stability and connection such a closure would cause.
“Duxberry isn’t just a school - it’s a community,” said Khadija Adams, a parent of three Duxberry students. “Duxberry has been transformative for our kids. My children feel safe there. Their teachers know them, and the staff supports our families in ways that go beyond academics. Closing Duxberry would uproot that sense of belonging and take away a vital part of the neighborhood. Our schools deserve investment, not abandonment.”
The coalition’s letters call for the proposed policy to be formally placed on the agenda of the next public Board of Education meeting and for the Board to issue a response and next steps at that time.
“Our students deserve stability,” says Izetta. “Our Families deserve transparency. Our educators deserve resources, respect, and the support they need to continue providing the high-quality education that every Columbus student deserves. Our community deserves a voice.” CEJC continues to be committed to holding the Columbus Board of Education and all elected officials, policy and decision-makers of our public schools accountable for every decision that impacts students, families, community, and educators.
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Founded in 2022, the Columbus Education Justice Coalition is a broad-based coalition of parents, educators, students, and community members dedicated to the work of ensuring an equitable and quality public education for all students in Columbus.
