Cincinnati Public Schools will look different next fall. After more than a month of discussion and debate between district administrators, the school board, and community members, the district's proposed redistricting plan has taken shape.
The original proposed plan known as Phase 2 would have moved students at nearly 30 CPS schools to different buildings by next fall. It included merging several lower-enrollment elementary schools and moving 7th and 8th-grade students out of a handful of overcrowded high schools and into new middle and junior high schools.
CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy says the plan was designed to better utilize the district's buildings, improve academic performance, and save money, but after communities at several schools involved in the proposal said they opposed it, some adjustments were made before the Board of Education's final vote Monday night.
Dozens of people representing a wide range of school communities spoke during public comment before the vote. Many voiced concerns about how the sweeping plan would impact students across the city. Others, including a few teachers, said they supported the proposal, citing overcrowding in their school buildings and the school system's financial
health.
RELATED: Ohio School Report Cards are in: See how local districts scored
The school board was divided on the issue as well. Board member James Crosset said he supports the entire plan because it would set up CPS for long-term success.
"I see this as a win-win-win. Better outcomes, better utilization of our buildings," he said. "We owe it to our taxpayers who paid for these buildings to utilize them properly."
Board member Kendra Mapp criticized the plan saying it shuffled too many students around too quickly.
"I don't believe this current plan honors the need for equity. Most importantly, I have not heard where it puts students at the forefront," Mapp said.
Ultimately, board members said the entire plan was unlikely to receive support from most members, so instead of voting on the whole package, the proposal was broken up into several pieces and tweaked to consider the community's input. Many of the changes will be implemented for the 2025-2026 school year.
East corridor
The Board voted to move 7th and 8th graders out of Withrow High School and into Evanston Academy's building, turning it into what will be known as Withrow Junior High.
Students in preschool through 5th grade who attend Evanston Academy will join Frederick Douglas School. Sixth-grade Fredrick Douglas students will move to the South Avondale school building in the fall, which will then be converted into South Avondale Middle School for 6th through 8th-grade students.
In the district's original proposal, Clark Montessori High School was supposed to send its 7th and 8th-grade students to Woodford Academy's building to become Woodford Montessori Middle School. Woodford would then join Silverton Elementary but after some debate and pushback from Clark Montessori and Woodford parents and teachers, the plan was nixed.
RELATED: New CPS superintendent says she's ready to lead after unscheduled board appointment
Central corridor
Seventh and 8th graders attending Hughes STEM High School and Woodward Career Technical High School will move to the newly created South Avondale Middle School next year, joining 6th graders from Frederick Douglas and Rockdale Academy.
Kindergarten through 5th grade students previously attending South Avondale School will go to Rockdale Academy.
Under the district's initial proposal, Rothenberg Academy was supposed to become a neighborhood Montessori school. Rothenberg students not in the Montessori program would go to Hayes-Porter but after West End community members showed up in droves at several school board meetings to oppose the plan, the administration opted to not make any changes to either Hayes-Porter or Rothenberg for next year.
Aiken High School 7th and 8th-graders will move into Pleasant Hill Academy's building to create Pleasant Hill Middle School. Preschool through 5th grade students previously at Pleasant Hill Academy will join College Hill Academy. Sixth graders at College Hill will join the new Pleasant Hill Middle School.
The boundaries of Winton Hills Academy and Mt. Airy School will be adjusted to include students from the Pleasant Hill and College Hill areas.
William H. Taft Elementary will send its preschool students to the Rising Stars @ Vine preschool. Currently a STEM elementary school, Taft could potentially transition into a Montessori school in the coming years according to CPS officials.
Hartwell Elementary School, currently for grades two through eight, will become a school solely for 5th through 8th grades next year. Second through 4th-graders at Hartwell will move to Carthage School.
West corridor
Western Hills University High School students in 7th and 8th grade will move out of the high school building and into Ethel M. Taylor Academy, which will turn into Western Hills Junior High. Ethel M. Taylor elementary-aged students will be absorbed into Roll Hill School.
The district's Spanish-language magnet school LEAP Academy will expand next year to add 7th and 8th levels.
Sayler Park, a preschool through 8th-grade neighborhood school, will gradually add high school grade levels and expand to offer Junior ROTC and early college programs. The district says Sayler Park will also build a partnership with Oyler School for athletic opportunities.
