The Columbus City Schools Board of Education has voted to approve making an additional and "deeper" $50 million in cuts by December, which would bring the total budget cuts for the district to $100 million.
The district administration now has until the end of 2026 to identify what should be cut from the budget for the 2027-2028 school year, according to the resolution approved by the board. The Sept. 8 vote comes after the district voted in 2025 to slash its budget by $50 million, including hundreds of job cuts, building closures and changes to student busing services.
After the 2025 cuts, the district said it still had $50 million in deficit spending it needed to address in the future to reduce a $100 million deficit at the beginning of 2025.
In an interview with The Dispatch, Superintendent Angela Chapman said as you make more cuts, it gets "harder and harder" to make decisions that don't impact the classroom. Chapman said the latest cuts will be "deeper, and will impact more of our programming and more of our staff."
"It's a tough decision for the district; it's a hard decision," Chapman said. "Now we have to go through the hard work, the heavy lifting of deciding how we're going to make additional cuts. We spent the entire fall semester [last year] going through this process, and it was not easy."
Board President Antoinette Miranda said that many districts around the state are facing similar budget challenges caused by state underfunding, but as the state's largest district, the amount of money they need to cut is larger.
"I trust that the administration will do their best to try and make good decisions that are further from the classroom, but I think it is going to be difficult."
John Coneglio, president of the Columbus Education Association, which represents district teachers and other faculty, said he was disappointed by the cuts, and said the district would likely continue cutting staff, closing buildings, and axing special programs.
"Every time you consolidate a building or decide to move out of a neighborhood, you're just adding to the managed decline of Columbus City Schools," Coneglio said.
He also said further staffing cuts would stretch teaching resources thin.
"This district will tell you it's 'all hands on deck,' and all hands on deck means the teachers are going to work more," Coneglio said. "The district officials are not going to come in ... it'll be interesting to see how many administrators come out and actually cover as classroom substitutes."
District cut $50 million in 2025
In December 2025, the board approved budget cuts to administration, faculty and staff. The board also voted to cut district programs and close four buildings to patch a $50 million hole in its budget, capping a months-long process.
In total, the approved cuts amounted to roughly $50.4 million. Throughout 2025 and 2026, the district approved hundreds of faculty, staff, and administrative cuts, slashed busing to thousands of students and approved the closure of four buildings.
The district, however, spiked a proposal that would strip busing from high school students and provide them with COTA passes after disagreements over whether it was a wise move.
Despite sweeping cuts, The Dispatch reported in February that the district's financial picture continues to worsen. The largest change in the financial projection comes from a $93.4 million health insurance premium increase over the five-year forecast and changes to the state's property tax law.
While financials improved, leaders were open about future cuts
The Dispatch reported in August that the district is still projected to be out of cash by fiscal year 2030 and to deficit spend more than $50 million in the current fiscal year.
However, Treasurer Ryan Cook said that district revenue is expected to grow more than twice as fast as expenses and the district "is on track" with its previous projections. Cook said the district was actively working to reduce its deficit spending.
Miranda said in August that despite positive progress on the budget, additional cuts will likely still have to come.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus City school board OKs making $50M in more cuts by December
