The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education will decide Monday night whether the district will undertake a major shuffle to make room for middle schools. If the proposed plan goes ahead, 8,000 to 15,000 students could be affected, officials say.
But there is also a chance that only parts of the plan will be approved.
The board has dealt with a major restructuring proposal in recent months. But several board members have concerns, and instead of voting on the plan in its entirety, the board has asked the administration to break it down into pieces so the board can vote line by line online.
It is unclear how the plan will be broken down for voting purposes.
Restructuring for secondary schools: The Cincinnati school board is reviewing the plan before the vote
What is Cincinnati Public Schools’ growth plan?
The first phase of the plan was already implemented at the beginning of this school year.
The district’s first middle school, Shroder Middle School, opened this fall for seventh- and eighth-graders in the former Dr. O’dell Owens Center for Learning on Desmond Street in Madisonville. That meant the district had students who attend Dr. O’dell Owens Center moved to the former Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students building in Walnut Hills, and children attending the Spencer Center moved to the first floor of Riverview East Academy on Kellogg. Lane.
According to the district’s website, the Spencer Center classes will occupy the entire building on Kellogg Avenue beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade who attended Riverview East Academy now attend Mount Washington School on Mears Avenue, and students in grades 9 through 12 are still attending Riverview East this school year, on the second floor. High school students enrolled at Riverview will attend their neighborhood school or enter the district’s lottery for next school year.
More: ‘Left out of the process’: Criticism and optimism follow Cincinnati superintendent’s choice
Here’s a look at the rest of the proposal and what could come next, as outlined on the district’s website. The plan proposes to split the district into three corridors, with different education options available in each geographic region of the city:
West corridor
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Carson School: This building would continue to serve children in kindergarten through sixth grade.
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A new high school at the current Ethel M. Taylor Academy: for children in seventh and eighth grades.
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Gilbert A. Dater High School: Gilbert would remain a school for children in seventh through twelfth grades.
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LEAP Academy: This school would expand to serve children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
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Rees E. Price Academy: This school would expand to serve children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
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Roll Hill School: This would remain a building for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Kids currently at Ethel M. Taylor Academy would go here.
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Sayler Park School: This building would house students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school would offer an early college program, JROTC Air Force or Navy or a Coast Guard program.
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Western Hills University High School: This building would house children in grades 9 through 12. Currently, Western Hills also has children in seventh and eighth grades.
Central corridor
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Aiken High School: This building would house children in grades 9 through 12. Currently, Aiken also has children in seventh and eighth grades.
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Bond Hill Academy: This would remain a school for children from kindergarten through sixth grade.
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Chase School: Chase would expand to serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
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A new high school at the current Hartwell School: for children in fifth through eighth grade.
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Hays-Porter School: For children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students currently studying at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy would attend here.
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Hughes STEM High School: This building would house students in grades 9 through 12. Currently, Hughes also has seventh and eighth graders.
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Mount Airy School: Serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
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A new high school at the current Pleasant Hill Academy: for students in sixth through eighth grades currently enrolled at Pleasant Hill Academy, College Hill Academy, and Winton Hills Academy and for seventh and eighth grade students currently enrolled are enrolled at Aiken High School.
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Rising Stars in Carthage: This would be an elementary school for students from kindergarten through fourth grade. Children currently enrolled at Hartwell would attend here.
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Rockdale Academy: This school would serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Students currently attending South Avondale School would attend.
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Rothenberg Preparatory Academy: This would be a neighborhood Montessori school for elementary school students.
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A new high school at the current South Avondale School: for children in sixth through eighth grades. Children previously enrolled at Frederick Douglass School, Rockdale Academy, Hays-Porter School and seventh and eighth graders from Hughes and Woodward would attend.
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William H. Taft Elementary School: This would be a neighborhood school for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Students currently studying at Rising Stars at Vine would go here.
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Woodward Career Technical High School: This building would house students in grades 9 through 12. Currently, Woodward also has seventh and eighth graders.
East corridor
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Academy for World Languages: This school would continue to serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
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Clark Montessori High School: This building would house students in grades 9 through 12. Currently, Clark also has seventh and eighth graders.
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Frederick Douglass School: This school would continue to house students in kindergarten through fifth grade. There are currently also sixth formers. Students at Evanston Academy, which would become the district’s high school for the Eastern Corridor, would instead attend Frederick Douglass.
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John P. Parker School: This school would continue to house students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
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A new high school in the current Evanston Academy building: for students in seventh and eighth grades.
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Shroder Middle School: This is the first middle school in the district to open this school year. It serves seventh and eighth graders.
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Withrow University High School: This building would house students in grades 9 through 12. Currently, Withrow also has seventh and eighth graders.
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A new Montessori high school in the current Woodford Academy building: Students currently enrolled at Clark Montessori High School and those matriculating from a Montessori elementary school on the east corridor would attend.
There would still be the School for Creative and Performing Arts for primary and secondary school children and an expanded Zoo Academy, which children would access through the district-wide lottery system.
Part of the second phase includes the opening of The Wrap at Rising Stars at Vine. The Wrap would provide services and support to students and families, including emergency assistance, health and wellness, financial aid and counseling, legal support, social services, technology assistance and housing assistance.
Additional details about the plan and its mission can be found online.
The board meets Monday at 5:30 p.m
Board members are divided on the growth plan, and at least one member, Kendra Mapp, said last week she would not vote on the changes at all.
Montessori education: Cincinnati parents and teachers are against the proposed changes to the district
“While I think there may be good recommendations, I have major concerns about the process and the reliability of the plan being implemented,” Mapp said during a special board meeting on Dec. 2. participate in the vote.”
The board will vote on the growth plan at a regular business meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Mary A. Ronan Education Center, located at 2651 Burnet Ave. The meeting will also be streamed online.
This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: The Cincinnati Public Schools board will decide the fate of the growth plan on Monday
