January 4, 2023 -- The Columbus Board of Education convened for the first time this New Year on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, by holding its annual organizational meeting.

Vice President Ramona Reyes was appointed president pro tempore for selecting the Board President and Vice President. The Board voted to retain Jennifer Adair as Board president. Adair is in her third term on the Board of Education, which will expire on December 31, 2023. Board member Christina Vera, in her second year on the Board, was elected to serve as Vice President.

Both shared their outlook on expectations for the remainder of the 2023 school year.

“It’s about continuing what we’re doing, pushing forward with the goals that we have to ensure that our students are able to achieve all the outcomes that we desire for them, including being Portrait ready. It’s really about following through with those commitments that we’ve made to the community, that we really look at those tough questions, that we address root cause, and that we are looking at systems holistically to really improve our District for our students, because that’s what they deserve and that’s really the continued goal that I have and I think the Board has.” - Board President Jennifer Adair

“I’m looking forward to continuing the good work of our District, of our community, and still working alongside my colleagues to continue to push our goals forward, the opportunity to collaborate with the community more. I feel like this is going to be a great year for our District.” - Board Vice President Christina Vera

Board committee appointments from last year and the roles Boardmembers will have will hold over for 2023. Board President Adair announced AdHoc committees assigned specific progress goals and deadlines. The AdHoc committees are as follows:

LEDE Policy Review AdHoc Committee

• Eric Brown (Chair)
• Tina Pierce (Vice Chair)
• Christina Vera

Structure of Board Work AdHoc Committee

• Christina Vera (Chair)
• Tina Pierce (Vice Chair)
• Eric Brown (Policy Consultant)

Board Strategy and Prioritization AdHoc Committee

• Carol Beckerle (Chair)
• Michael Cole (Vice Chair)

Education Foundation AdHoc Committee

• Ramona Reyes (Chair)
• Carol Beckerle (Vice Chair)

Ballot Initiatives AdHoc Committee

• Jennifer Adair (Chair)
• Michael Cole (Vice Chair)

Standing Committees

Audit and Accountability Committee

• Carol Beckerle (Chair)
• Christina Vera (Vice Chair)
• Ramona Reyes

Finance and Appropriations Committee

• Michael Cole (Chair)
• Eric Brown (Vice Chair)
• Jennifer Adair

Governance Policy & Advocacy Committee

• Eric Brown (Chair)
• Michael Cole (Vice Chair)
• Dr. Tina Pierce

Neighborhood School Development Partnership (NSDP) Subcommittee

• Jennifer Adair
• Ramona Reyes
• Michael Cole

Board Engagement Working Group

• Ramona Reyes (Chair)
• Carol Beckerle (Vice Chair)
• Dr. Tina Pierce

The Columbus Board of Education also voted to change the start time for its regular business meetings. Beginning with the January 17 meeting, all regular business meetings will start at 6:00 p.m. Meetings previously began at 5:30 p.m. The Board meets regularly twice a month on the first and third Tuesday unless otherwise noted. All meetings occur at the District’s South Administration building at 3700 S. High Street, Room 825.

The Columbus Board of Education and Committee Meeting Schedules can be found by clicking HERE.