Latest news with #JenniferAdair
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbus schools OKs demolition of four buildings
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to demolish four vacant and blighted buildings that used to be schools. Three former middle schools – Monroe, Beery and Linmoor – and the former Beaumont Elementary will be torn down within the next four months. Columbus officer confronts school board after being denied access to school During a presentation at Tuesday's board meeting, current pictures were shown of the four buildings. There was obvious damage to them all, including flooding, leakage, mold and vandalism. 'It is really time, and this board and our community is ready to start taking action on our properties,' Columbus School Board Vice President Jennifer Adair said. Two of the buildings sit on the same sites as current Columbus school buildings, but the other two are on inactive sites and Adair said residents will get a say on the properties' futures. 'There will be community engagement around what happens to those. Those are assets. Those are our community's assets,' Adair said. Mayor: Village won't replace non-working tornado sirens 'We're in the very real working space of reimagining what our buildings look like, what type of curriculum will then align to those facilities in a way that provides the best resources possible for children,' Columbus School Board President Michael Cole said. These demolitions come as the Board of Education is in the middle of a realignment process. Board members voted to close five schools during a December 2024 meeting, and those closures will take effect by the 2026-2027 school year. It is still not known what is happening to the buildings and to the students who were slated to attend those schools. 'The board has well prioritized community insight and feedback on what this process should be, what it is that they'd like to see in their school buildings,' Cole said. Three fugitives arrested during U.S. Marshals operation in Columbus 'As we continue the realignment process, as President Cole outlined, there may be an opportunity or need to continue to talk about demolition, but also in conjunction with building,' Adair said. Board members said there will be an in-depth discussion about the latest on the realignment process during the June 3 board meeting. They urged community members interested in knowing more about the school closures and consolidations to attend in person or watch online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CCS board says district complies with racial discrimination law as feds threaten funding
Columbus City Schools has approved a resolution saying it was already compliant with racial discrimination laws in response to a U.S. Department of Education order requiring schools to certify they are compliant or risk federal funding. On April 3, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to all state departments of education, informing them that they must collect signed certification letters from their state's public school districts verifying compliance with its definition of racial discrimination laws. The due date for certifying compliance is April 18. In a brief meeting April 17, the board voted unanimously to send the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) a copy of the resolution stating that the Columbus City school board has "already affirmed its compliance" under Title VI and other nondiscrimination laws in grant applications and "enforces comprehensive nondiscrimination policies consistent with applicable law." In a statement she read during the meeting, Board Vice President Jennifer Adair said that district schools "have been and will remain in compliance" with the law. "Our district and community have always been committed to creating and sustaining supportive spaces for all of our students, staff, and families, and we remain committed to that work," Adair said in a prepared release. Title VI is a portion of federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, including public schools. The district said the certification asks districts to acknowledge that they will comply with Title VI and "the U.S. Department of Education's recently expanded interpretation of Title VI, as outlined in a recent 'Dear Colleague Letter.'" The consequence for "illegal DEI practices," Adair said, is districts losing federal funding. According to the ODEW, the CCS district received more than $255 million from the federal government last year, amounting to 22% of district revenue. "As Columbus City Schools is in compliance with federal law, the school district remains eligible for federal funding," Adair said in her statement. In February, the U.S. Department of Education said in a letter that schools must stop considering race in "decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life," The Dispatch previously reported. The letter's basis was built on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which overturned the use of race-conscious admissions practices at colleges and universities. The district also said in its resolution that it "is unaware of any authority that the USDOE has to demand that it agree to an interpretation of a judicial decision or change the terms and conditions of the CCS Board's receipt of federal funds without formal administrative process." In her statement, Adair said that public school districts were asked to confirm that they are not engaging in any 'illegal DEI practices,' but added that "the term is undefined in the certification." The resolution says that the requested certification is vague and ambiguous where it states that 'certain DEI practices can violate federal law,' without defining 'diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.' Dayton City Schools voted April 17 not to sign the letter, The Dayton Daily News reported. The Connecticut State Department of Education said April 16 that it would not sign the certification. Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@ or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: CCS board to U.S.: We're already following anti-discrimination law
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CCS board says district complies with racial discrimination law as U.S. threatens funding
Columbus City Schools has approved a resolution saying it was already compliant with racial discrimination laws in response to a U.S. Department of Education order requiring schools to certify they are compliant or risk federal funding. On April 3, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to all state departments of education, informing them that they must collect signed certification letters from their state's public school districts verifying compliance with its definition of racial discrimination laws. The due date for certifying compliance is April 18. In a brief meeting April 17, the board voted unanimously to send the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) a copy of the resolution stating that the Columbus City school board has "already affirmed its compliance" under Title VI and other nondiscrimination laws in grant applications and "enforces comprehensive nondiscrimination policies consistent with applicable law." In a statement she read during the meeting, Board Vice President Jennifer Adair said that district schools "have been and will remain in compliance" with the law. "Our district and community have always been committed to creating and sustaining supportive spaces for all of our students, staff, and families, and we remain committed to that work," Adair said in a prepared release. Title VI is a portion of federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, including public schools. The district said the certification asks districts to acknowledge that they will comply with Title VI and "the U.S. Department of Education's recently expanded interpretation of Title VI, as outlined in a recent 'Dear Colleague Letter.'" The consequence for "illegal DEI practices," Adair said, is districts losing federal funding. According to the ODEW, the CCS district received more than $255 million from the federal government last year, amounting to 22% of district revenue. "As Columbus City Schools is in compliance with federal law, the school district remains eligible for federal funding," Adair said in her statement. In February, the U.S. Department of Education said in a letter that schools must stop considering race in "decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life," The Dispatch previously reported. The letter's basis was built on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which overturned the use of race-conscious admissions practices at colleges and universities. The district also said in its resolution that it "is unaware of any authority that the USDOE has to demand that it agree to an interpretation of a judicial decision or change the terms and conditions of the CCS Board's receipt of federal funds without formal administrative process." In her statement, Adair said that public school districts were asked to confirm that they are not engaging in any 'illegal DEI practices,' but added that "the term is undefined in the certification." The resolution says that the requested certification is vague and ambiguous where it states that 'certain DEI practices can violate federal law,' without defining 'diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.' Dayton City Schools voted April 17 not to sign the letter, The Dayton Daily News reported. The Connecticut State Department of Education said April 16 that it would not sign the certification. Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@ or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: CCS board to U.S.: We're already following anti-discrimination law
