COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The school year is over for Columbus City Schools (CCS) students and while their work is done, the district’s is not.

Thursday was the last day of school and it brought the usual feelings associated with the end of the academic year.

“Excited for the summer, because we already have plans,” said Ayris Michele, whose son just finished fifth grade.

But it also came with mixed feelings for some.

“Last day of school, excited and nervous at the same time,” Nicole Carter said.

Carter has two kids in the district. Like others, she’s dealt with the challenges of the pandemic, then the teachers strike in 2022, a superintendent change in 2023, and now the Community Facilities Task Force which is looking at possible school closures and consolidations for 2025.

“Me, as a parent, since I’m so pro-CCS, I’m hoping this next year, before the end of the year, that we can have some hopes for going into the summer, we can kind of work things out and then as we’re going into the fall, that we can say hey, let’s regroup,” Carter said.

The school board Wednesday night censured member Brandon Simmons. He’s accused of writing a controversial memo about how the district should handle public communications related to the task force. He said other board members worked on it too. Despite what’s going on at the district level, Michael said her son’s school keeps kids focused.

“They do a really good job at making sure it’s kind of seamless for them so we don’t, the parents are not like feeling all of the being pulled back and forth with the different things and neither are the kids,” Michele said.

Carter encouraged community members to get involved and encouraged the district to listen to them. Carter also said she hopes there are no more disruptions.

“That’s one of the biggest things I would say. Hey, if there’s hiccups going on within, then also it’s going to be hiccups going on all around,” she said. “If leadership is hiccupping, so is everything underneath it.”

A couple of task force engagement sessions took place Wednesday night. More are scheduled for next week.