To Columbus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dixon, Area Superintendent Mr. Nelson, and members of the Columbus City Schools’ Board of Education:

We, the undersigned educators and proud CEA members at Columbus West High School are writing to communicate the urgent need for changes in terms of building safety for our students and staff, and district wide.  The following items are immediate steps that can be taken to help us process our trauma and to rebuild broken trust with our building and district leadership.  This has been building for months and culminated with the gross negligence displayed in response to a serious safety incident that transpired on February 1st, 2022. We request the following:

1. Updating district procedures concerning lock downs and that safety and that safety and security officers, building administrators, and school staff are trained on the updated policy.

2. Installing an updated camera security system at West High School, which includes additional cameras that cover the perimeter of the building. 

3. Installing an updated Public Address system at West High School that includes every classroom and office spaces throughout the building. 

4. Adding additional safety and security personnel to West High School so that no less than 10 safety and security are onsite at West High School from now to the end of the school year. 

5. Having a system in place so that staff can request safety and security personnel to escort any staff member to their vehicles.

6. Limiting the options of discipline transfers for students that bring firearms to school campuses or commit level 3 volatile acts/physical assaults/sexual assaults/arson and explosives/ and dangerous weapons (not firearms) in Columbus City Schools to an alternative school as defined by Ohio Revised Code section 3313.534(B) or be enrolled into the BlendEd program, until they graduate high school or choose to leave the school district. If they leave and choose to return to the school district, their enrollment will remain with an alternative school or the BlendEd Program.   In an alternative school or the BlendEd program, they can still receive their education, and have access to social and emotional support from our district staff.

7.  Convening an immediate meeting with the City of Columbus for an update on the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, as it pertains to West High School.

8.  We request that safety be a standing agenda item on our Association Building Council (ABC) agenda to promote and maintain a joint commitment to campus safety, with updates provided by Administration on campus safety including those items listed above. 

Please provide a response in writing to each of these action items to West High School CEA Senior Faculty Representative Felix Catheline (FCatheline9815@columbus.k12.oh.us) no later than February 18, 2022.

Sincerely,

West High School Faculty Members