Cincinnati Public Schools is working on its next phase of district reorganization.
While not fully developed yet, district leaders presented some early details for "Phase 2" of the reorganization plan to the school board Monday night. It could be implemented as soon as fall 2025.
The plan includes moving students from some schools to different buildings based on their capacity to balance enrollment and prevent overcrowding. It also includes possibly converting some buildings into junior high and middle schools and creating three new "Welcome Centers" for students learning English at Hartwell School, Roberts, Academy, and Dater High School.
RELATED: CPS interim superintendent asks board to consider plan to reorganize a handful of schools
"Phase 1" which was implemented shortly before the start of the 2024 school year involved moving students from the Spencer Center magnet school into Riverview East Academy's building, and shifting Riverview's younger students to Mt. Washington School. It also converted a building previously used to educate students with academic and behavioral difficulties into the district's only middle school, Shroder Middle School.
The first phase, which will result in the closure of Riverview East was considered an early success by Interim Superintendent Shauna Murphy and the schools' principals but it did receive some criticism. A few teachers and community members voiced concerns during the summer, saying the district didn't gather enough feedback or give staff enough to prepare for the abrupt shift before moving forward with the plan.
This time board members say they want to ensure communities can learn about the next phase and provide input on the next steps well before the plan is set in motion.
"We want to make sure everybody is on board but I also want to point out 'on board' doesn't equal agree all the time," Board member Kareem Moffett said. "We have to do some things differently."
RELATED: CPS principals say the district's restructuring effort has gone smoothly
Board member Brandon Craig told administrators the amount of community input gathered may determine how well the plan is received by the public. He says Phase 2" needs to spread the district's resources evenly so communities don't feel like they're being ignored or pushed aside by the district.
"What I am concerned about at times is that we look like we are providing resources to one group of people and to others we're saying 'You have to wait for your building because we aren't ready yet,'" Craig said. "Sometimes we have engagement conversations that end up looking that way as well, where one group of people we're saying, 'We're giving you something!' and the other group we're saying, 'Well, like, it's still going to be okay."
CPS will hold community feedback sessions in October. Dates and locations can be seen below.
- Oct. 8 @ 3:35 pm - Aiken High School - Aiken parents
- Oct. 9 @ 3 pm - Roll Hill Cafeteria - Roll Hill parents
- Oct. 10 @ 6:30 pm - Bush Rec Center - Walnut Hills Community Council
- Oct. 10 @ 7:30 pm - 3rd Presbyterian Church - East Westwood Community Council
- Oct. 16 @ 5 pm - Virtual - Western Hills LSDMC
- Oct. 22 @ 2:35 pm - South Avondale - South Avondale LSDMC
- Oct. 22 @ 3 pm College Hill - College Hill parents
- Oct. 24 @ 5 pm - Hughes High School - Hughes parents
