I am speaking on behalf of myself and not on behalf of the Dublin City Schools Board of Education, other school board members, or the Dublin City Schools District.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to share your questions, concerns, or feedback. Unfortunately, I am unable to respond to everyone personally, so I am taking a moment to write here. Please note that any communications on this post will be considered a public record. I will turn off comments on this blog post to reduce the number of records and locations of records which I need to preserve.
Hello Friends,
I know many of you are feeling uncertain, frustrated, and concerned about possible redistricting changes that have been proposed or might be proposed. I totally understand that. Your feelings are valid and you are definitely not alone. As a parent, I know that any change in where our students attend school will have an emotional impact. Our schools are more than just buildings, they are places where our students learn, grow, make memories, and build relationships.
That’s why I want to take a moment to speak with you, not just as a School Board Member, but as someone who cares deeply about every student and family in Dublin City Schools.
Redistricting is Difficult
School redistricting is a complex process driven by rapid student enrollment growth at Jerome High School, uneven distribution of students across the district, the need for cost-effective operations, and the responsibility to ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all students. While these reasons make sense, I know they don’t eliminate the emotions that come with this change.
Some of you are worried about the flaws in the redistricting process overall, imbalances between the schools, the possible impact on the academic experience, longer bus rides, transportation safety, splitting friend groups, or adjusting to a new school community. These concerns deserve to be heard. I want you to know that I am listening.
My Focus is on the Students
To me, the goal of redistricting, and everything the district does, should be to ensure that students have the best possible educational experience with the resources available to the district—not just for today, but for years to come. That means making sure buildings aren’t overcrowded, staff isn’t overwhelmed, teachers are supported, and that every child has the opportunity to thrive and succeed no matter which building they attend.
That is why it is so important to do this right.
Let’s Build This Community Together
It has been an incredibly tough year for our community, for many reasons, but I have seen firsthand how resilient and supportive our community can be when we rely on each other. Change is never easy and this process has been particularly straining, but it can bring us closer together if we face it with openness, transparency, respect, compassion, and a collaborative mindset. We are all on the same team.
That doesn’t mean we pretend everything is perfect. It means we roll up our sleeves and figure this out.
Now and over the next few weeks, there will be opportunities for you to ask questions, share concerns, and be part of the conversation. I encourage you to participate. Your voice truly matters. Whether it’s at a board meeting, a community forum, or a casual chat over coffee or tea, I want to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
I have had the honor and privilege to speak with many of you and I welcome it. It is always good to hear from community members, but it is evermore important to be engaged when complex and important decisions are being made. One of the main roles of a school board member is to be a liaison between the district and the community. This means listening to the community, sharing community concerns and attitudes with the District, learning about different viewpoints, ideas and perspectives, and using all the information at hand to make the best-informed decisions possible.
I am receiving hundreds of emails and can’t respond personally to everyone. I do read each one, though.
I know it’s not the most popular thing, but please do complete the public survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJiCEk7kZFMehnR15FbixpoeYUKUQR7-dsamJUP98J3nPVCA/viewform
This will ensure that your feedback is officially captured for the Internal Planning Team.
How Does this Work?
While the Board of Education does not create maps or assign students to buildings, the Board of Education does provide governance and oversight of the district. There are two duties explicitly stated in Ohio Revised Code as being duties of the superintendent. The first duty is to assign teachers to buildings and the second duty is to assign students to buildings. The District has hired Cropper GIS to assist the superintendent and the Internal Planning Team with creating redistricting maps while considering board Policy 5120 and 8 criteria.
As a board member, my role is to make sure whichever map is selected falls in alignment with Policy 5120 and the 8 established criteria.
Policy 5120 – Assignment Within District states:
“The Superintendent assigns students to schools within this District consistent with the best interests of students and/or the best use of the resources of this District, as set forth in this Policy.
The Superintendent shall determine annually the school attendance areas of the District and shall assign students to the proper schools and grades.
The Superintendent shall periodically review existing attendance areas and make such changes as may be justified by:
- student enrollment and building capacity;
- considerations of safe student transportation and travel;
- convenience of access to schools;
- financial and administrative efficiency;
- the effectiveness of the instructional program;
- other relevant factors, including those required by law.
The Superintendent may assign a student to a school other than that designated by the attendance area when such an exception is justified by circumstances and is in the best interest of the student.
The Principal shall assign students to appropriate grades, classes, or groups within the Principal’s building. This action shall be based on consideration of the needs of the student as well as the administration of the school.”
Neither Policy 5120 nor the 8 Criteria have been changed. And it is not necessary to change this policy to ensure that students are assigned to schools consistent with the best interests of students and/or the best use of the resources of this District.
When Hopewell Elementary and Depp Elementary opened, both schools opened near capacity. However, though they both have the exact same footprint, it became evident that the population was too high to sustainably meet the needs of students in Hopewell. Therefore some students were reassigned elsewhere. We can learn from this.
I maintain that it is prudent to consider the possible impact on the student educational experience, the best interests of students, and the resources required with any map BEFORE it is implemented. This is true whether it is one of the three maps, or a new map.
Since I first had the opportunity go over the 11 maps with the superintendent on 9/23/2025, I requested that the superintendent:
- Make all 11 maps available with data to the entire public (not just the community member who requested them) to add transparency and show the public what has been considered,
- Ensure a traffic study be completed to provide more accurate traffic data,
- Demonstrate measurable metrics for how each of the 8 criteria was met or not met for the proposed maps,
- Make space in the redistricting timeline for discussion of the impact on the student experience, examine the possible resources needed, allow for more public feedback, and gather more input from educators and the internal planning team.
- Work with the President and Vice President to create space in the October 13th Board Meeting for Board members to discuss the redistricting process (Note: the Board cannot meet together outside of a public board meeting, and therefore has not had the opportunity to discuss the maps as a whole since the maps were released).
I made these requests the same week I saw the maps–the week of 9/23. Please note that the Board cannot hold meetings outside of public meetings. The exception is when the Board meets in executive session. Executive session is only allowed for six very specific reasons.
In closing, I know this process has been far from ideal. I have a list of my own questions and concerns and I am taking note of yours as well. Though I can’t promise an outcome that will satisfy everyone, I will do my best to make sure that the decisions made consider the overall wellbeing of our students and the best use of District resources.
Timeline
04/21/2025: Introduction to HS Redistricting Webinar
08/26/2025: Public Information Session with Cropper GIS (Zoom)
09/08/2025: Internal Planning Team Meeting
(09/18/2025): Public Records Request Sent (contained 11 maps)
09/22/2025: Internal Planning Team Meeting
(09/22/2025) Board Meeting with Open Public Participation (allows for anyone to speak on any topic related to the district and is not televised)
09/26/2025: Internal Planning Team Meeting
09/29/2025: 3:16 PM – Draft Maps sent to Board in Cropper GIS Presentation. 6:00PM Draft Maps/Public Input Session at Coffman. 7:30PM Draft Maps/Public Input Session at Jerome
09/29-10/24: Survey Window/Feedback Reviewed, Maps Adjusted
10/09/2025: Internal Planning Team Meeting
10/13/2025: Board Meeting at Emerald Campus (No Open Public Participation)
10/29/205: Board Meeting at City Council Chamber (60 minute Open Public Participation)
11/10/2025: Board Meeting at Scioto, Final Maps Published
12/05/25: School Determination Form Due for Impacted 9th, 10th, and 11th Graders
08/20/2026: First Day of 2026-27 School Year (Scioto Addition in use)
My FAQS
I will update this section as new questions emerge.
Does the Board vote on the maps? Historically, the Board has not voted on maps.
What is your stance on redistricting? Any map chosen should demonstrate alignment with Board Policy and the established criteria as much as possible.
Is the deadline flexible? To ensure that the Scioto addition can be utilized for the 2026-27 school year, the redistricting process needs to be completed by November 10th to allow time for scheduling and assigning teachers.
Did board members share maps with members of the public? No, a public records request was filled on 9/18 and shared with the Board on 9/19 which showed 11 maps with no data.
Did board members choose the 3 draft maps? Not to my knowledge. Board members are also not part of the Internal Planning Team. I received the maps at 3:16 pm on 9/29.
Policy
