Cincinnati Public Schools says it may make changes to a proposed plan that would move students at nearly 30 schools to new buildings next fall to balance enrollment.
Officials say the plan, initially proposed in late October, would fix overcrowding at CPS high schools by creating six new middle schools and addressing under-enrollment at elementary schools by merging several schools.
The proposal received criticism from board members, teachers, and families, who told district leaders it made too many changes in too short a time frame.
During Monday's school board meeting, administrators presented changes to the initial plan to make the transition more manageable. The proposed adjustments would keep more students at their current school buildings and put some school mergers and moves on hold for the next school year.
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The district planned to move 7th and 8th graders out of several high school buildings into newly created middle schools but is now considering an option to keep those students at their current high school buildings and instead opening its middle schools to 7th graders only for its first year, with students graduating from the 6th grade. This change would require CPS to hire additional teachers and staff to fill extra positions needed for such a move.
Another change would pause Rothenberg Academy's transition into a Montessori school. District leaders are now looking at having Rothenberg absorb Hays-Porter School's students and moving the district's central office services into the former Hays-Porter building.
Administrators are also considering sending preschool students from Rothenberg Academy to join the Rising Stars @ Vine preschool instead of moving Rising Stars students to Taft Elementary.
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The proposed adjustments received mixed reactions from board members. While some said the changes were a positive step for the district's long-term success, others said the plan would still be too disruptive for many students and their families.
"I do think there are opportunities to yes, still do a good portion of addressing those needs without necessarily displacing as many people," said board member Brandon Craig.
As the timeline to implement the sweeping plan gets tighter with each passing week, Board President Eve Bolton told the board and members of the community that a significant change is coming to CPS soon, whether people want it or not.
"I think there are things that you can bet on," Bolton said. "We're not going to have under-enrolled schools this coming budget year. It's as simple as that."
The Board of Education plans to schedule a special meeting early next month to go over the complete plan with its suggested revisions. The Board will likely vote on whether to approve it during its regularly scheduled meeting Dec 9.
