Columbus City Schools Superintendent Angela Chapman rolled out $60 million in improvements on May 18, including building refreshes, sports complex upgrades and energy-efficient improvements across dozens of schools.
At Salem Elementary School in Northland, Chapman was joined by Board President Antoinette Miranda and Salem Principal Aimee Pace, where they announced CCS will invest $6M for a full building refresh, a new playground and other outdoor improvements designed to improve learning spaces for students and staff.
Chapman said during the event that “every upgrade is part of our larger commitment to pour into our neighborhood schools and protect the investments our community has made.”
“It is exciting for every student who will walk into a stronger, brighter and more welcoming school because of the work that’s beginning this summer,” Chapman said.
Some of the improvements at Salem Elementary, including an outdoor classroom, were designed in part with help from students at the school. Yasmin Castro, a fourth grader at Salem, said she was most excited about the classroom.
Improvements are expected to be completed before the start of the 2026-2027 school year.
The district is also investing over $50 million in other The capital plan includes investment in renovations, playground upgrades, HVAC replacements, roof repairs, athletic facility improvements, classroom upgrades, parking lot resurfacing, and energy-efficient building improvements at schools across Columbus.
Miranda said she believes the community will be pleased with the projects.
“There is more to come, but this is a beginning and I’m excited that we’re finally able to do this,” Miranda said.
While the district faces an ongoing budget crisis, the funding for the projects in 2026 is coming from the $100 million levy passed in 2023, which included around $60 million annually for district capital improvements.
Other major projects planned for Summer 2026 include:
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 Schools to update schools, sports facilities in $60 million plan
Reporting by Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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