Columbus City Schools, formerly known as Columbus Public Schools, is the official school district for the city of

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, and serves most of the city (portions of the city are served by suburban school districts). The district has 46,686 students enrolled, making it the largest school district in the state of Ohio as of June 2021. At its peak during the 1971 school year the district served 110,725 students. The first school built in the area which is now part of Columbus was a log cabin school-house built in Franklinton, in 1806. It wasn't until 1845 that the state of

Ohio Legislature The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus ...

entrusted the management of Columbus schools to a Board of Education. Two years later the school board elected Dr. Asa Lord as the district's first superintendent. Dr. Gene T. Harris served as the 19th superintendent of Columbus City Schools and was succeeded by Dr. Dan Good. For most of its history, the district has been referred to as "Columbus Public Schools". In August 2007, the district decided to begin using its official name of "Columbus City Schools."

1977 desegregation

Although technically the landmark ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...

'' case made segregation in schools illegal, some schools were still segregated by the neighborhoods they served. In March 1977 Federal District Court Judge Robert M. Duncan ruled in '' Penick v. Columbus Board of Education'' that the school boundary methods used by Columbus Public Schools promoted segregation by sending black students to predominantly black schools and white students to predominantly white schools. The result was

desegregation busing Race-integration busing in the United States (also known simply as busing, Integrated busing or by its critics as forced busing) was the practice of assigning and student transport, transporting students to schools within or outside their local s ...

to desegregate all schools in the Columbus Public School district. Before the 1978-1979 school year the Columbus Public School district petitioned Supreme Court Justice

William Rehnquist William Hubbs Rehnquist ( ; October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American attorney and jurist who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 33 years, first as an associate justice from 1972 to 1986 and then as the 16th chief justice from ...

for a stay on the forced busing, and the petition was granted. However, in April 1979 the Supreme Court made their decision and upheld the original Duncan decision. Before this landmark decision was handed down, the district had a peak of 110,725 students enrolled in 1971 and operated 20 high schools. Many parents moved their children out of the Columbus district to the suburbs to avoid the desegregation. As a result, district enrollment significantly declined, forcing two high schools, Central High School (In 1982) and North High School (In 1979) to be closed, as well as several elementary and middle schools.

School enrollment

Enrollment figures in the school district have significantly increased in the past and recently decreased. Following is a list of school enrollments over the years.

Board of education

There are seven members on the Board of Education. Current members are listed below: *Jennifer A. Adair, President *Ramona R. Reyes, Vice-President *Carol Beckerle *Eric S. Brown *Michael Cole *Dr. Tina Pierce *James Ragland

Schools

There are a total of 118 active schools in the district.

Elementary schools

*Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School *Alpine Elementary School *Avalon Elementary School *Avondale Elementary School *Beatty Park Elementary School *Berwick Alternative Elementary School *Binns Elementary School *Broadleigh Elementary School *Burroughs Elementary School *Cassady Alternative Elementary School *Cedarwood Alternative Elementary School *Clinton Elementary School *Colerain Elementary School *Como Elementary School *Cranbrook Elementary School *Devonshire Alternative Elementary School *Duxberry Park Alternative Elementary School *Eakin Elementary School *East Columbus Elementary School *East Linden Elementary School *Eastgate Elementary School *Easthaven Elementary School *Fairmoor Elementary School *Fairwood Alternative Elementary School *Forest Park Elementary School *Gables Elementary School *Georgian Heights Alternative Elementary School *Hamilton Alternative Elementary School *Highland Elementary School *Hubbard Mastery Elementary School *Huy Road Elementary School *Indian Springs Elementary School *Indianola Alternative Elementary School. This was originally (in 1909) Indianola Junior High School and was the first junior high school in the US. *Innis Elementary School *Leawood Elementary School *Liberty Elementary School *Lincoln Park Elementary School *Lindbergh Elementary School *Linden Elementary School *Livingston Avenue Elementary School *Maize Road Elementary School *Moler Elementary School *North Linden Elementary School *Northtowne Elementary School *Oakland Park Alternative Elementary School *Oakmont Elementary School *Ohio Avenue Elementary School *Olde Orchard Alternative Elementary School *Parkmoor Urban Academy Elementary School *Parsons Elementary School *Salem Elementary School *Scottwood Elementary School *Shady Lane Elementary School *Siebert Elementary School *South Mifflin Elementary School * Southwood Elementary School *Special Education Center *Stewart Alternative Elementary School *Sullivant Elementary School *Trevitt Elementary School *Valley Forge Elementary School *Valleyview Elementary School *Watkins Elementary School *Weinland Park Elementary School *West Broad Street Elementary School *West Mound Elementary School *Westgate Alternative Elementary School *Windsor Alternative Elementary School *Winterset Elementary School *Woodcrest Elementary School *Columbus Spanish Immersion *Ecole Kenwood

Middle schools

*Arts Impact Middle School (AIMS) *Buckeye Middle School *Champion Middle School *Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys *Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls *Columbus Gifted Academy *Dominion Middle School *Hilltonia Middle School *Johnson Park Middle School *Medina Middle School *Mifflin Alternative Middle School *Ridgeview Middle School *Sherwood Middle School *Starling Middle School K-8 (Original West High School) *Wedgewood Middle School *Westmoor Middle School *Woodward Park Middle School *Yorktown Middle School

K-8 Alternative schools

*Africentric K-8 * Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy at Beaumont Elementary School *Ecole Kenwood French Immersion School at Kenwood Elementary School *Indianola Informal K-8 *Starling K-8 School (merger of Dana Elementary and Starling Middle in 2013). Starling Middle School was the original West High School.

High schools

Beechcroft High School Beechcroft High School is a four-year high school (grades 9-12) located on the north side of Columbus, Ohio. It is a part of Columbus City Schools. Beechcroft was first opened in 1976 as a six-year junior/senior high school. At that time, school en ...

* Briggs High School * Centennial High School *

Columbus Africentric Early College Columbus Africentric Early College is a public high school in Columbus, Ohio. It is a part of Columbus City Schools. The school's previous name, Mohawk Middle School, was changed in the late 1990s, to allow the school not only separation from its o ...

Columbus Alternative High School Columbus Alternative High School is a public high school in the Columbus City Schools district located in the area known as North Linden, in Columbus, Ohio. The school is a magnet school for college-bound students in Columbus, with both AP and I ...

Columbus North International School Columbus North High School is a public high school building located on the north side of Columbus, Ohio at 100 E. Arcadia Avenue. It is part of the Columbus City School District. The school was closed in 1979 due to declining enrollment. In ...

at Brookhaven *

Downtown High School Columbus Downtown High School is a public high school and vocational school located in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is a part of Columbus City Schools. It was built to consolidate, along with the existing Fort Hayes Career Center, three closing car ...

* East High School *

Eastmoor Academy Eastmoor Academy is a public high school located on the east side of Columbus, Ohio. It is part of Columbus City Schools. Eastmoor Academy was formerly known as Eastmoor High School. The school's colors are red, white and blue, and its mascot ...

Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center is a public magnet alternative school for students interested in an intensive academic and arts curriculum, located near Downtown Columbus, Ohio. This curriculum brings the study of arts and academics toget ...

* Independence High School *

Linden-McKinley High School Linden McKinley High School is located in the South Linden neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio and is part of the Columbus City Schools District. The school has an enrollment of approximately 500 students in grades 9 to 12. Currently Linden McKinley ...

Marion-Franklin High School Marion-Franklin High School (MFHS, Marion) is a four-year high school (grades 9-12) located on the south side of Columbus, Ohio, at 1265 Koebel Road. Marion-Franklin is one of 17 traditional high schools in the Columbus City Schools district. The ...

* Mifflin High School * Northland High School * South High School * Walnut Ridge High School * West High School * Whetstone High School

Former schools

* Barrett Middle School (1900-2006) - Original South High School building (Named for South's first principal Charles S. Barrett) *Barnett School - Closed 1977 *Beaumont Elementary School, now Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy *Beck Urban Academy Elementary School * Bellows Avenue School - Closed 1982 *Brentnell Alternative Elementary - now the

Ohio Dominican University Ohio Dominican University is a private Dominican liberal arts university in Columbus, Ohio. The university has approximately 1,700 students and offers undergraduate degrees in 40 majors as well as nine graduate degree programs. History The Co ...

's Charles School *Broadview School *

Brookhaven High School Brookhaven High School may be: * Brookhaven High School (Columbus, Ohio) * Brookhaven High School (Brookhaven, Mississippi) {{disamb ...

closed May 2014 *Calumet School-Closed as a Columbus City School, however is now a private Christian school * Central High School (1924-1982) - Current site of

COSI Cosi, COSI or CoSi may refer to: * ''Così'', a 1992 play by Louis Nowra ** ''Cosi'' (film), 1996, based on the play * Così (restaurant), an American fast-casual restaurant chain * Compton Spectrometer and Imager, or COSI, a NASA telescope to be ...

. The original Central High School was built in 1862 and located at 303 East Broad Street. It was the first school in Columbus built specifically only as a high school. Its name was changed in 1911 to the High School of Commerce. It closed as a school in 1924, but was used for office space until 1928 when it was demolished. *Chicago Avenue School *Clarfield Elementary School *Clinton Middle School *Courtright Elementary School *Crestview Middle School - now Indianola Informal K-8 School *Eastwood Elementary School *Everett Middle School - Dennison and Fourth, starting in 1924. It was the original North High School before that. Thereafter, it was home to Arts Impact Middle School for 17 years before Columbus Gifted Academy took over. * Felton School *Fifth Avenue Public School *First Avenue School *Franklin Alternative Middle School. 1390 Franklin (now Bryden) Road. Formerly Franklin Junior High School, starting in 1923. It was the original East High School before that. *Franklinton Elementary School - Built in 1888 at 666 West Broad Street. It was built on the site of the old Franklin County Courthouse, which had been built in 1809. It was demolished in 1959 to make way for the freeway. *Gladstone School *Glenmont School *Hamilton School *Hudson Elementary School *James Road Elementary School *Kent Elementary School *Kingswood School *Koebel Elementary School *Lane Avenue School *Leonard Avenue School *Linden Park Alternative Elementary - Closed 2007 *Linmoor Middle School - Closed 2007 *Main Street Elementary School *Marburn Elementary School *McGuffey Elementary School *Medary Elementary School - Closed 2007 *Michigan Avenue School * Milo Public School (1894-1977) *Monroe Traditional Alternative Middle School *Neil Avenue School (

Open Air School Open air schools or schools of the woods were purpose-built educational institutions for children, that were designed to prevent and combat the widespread rise of tuberculosis that occurred in the period leading up to the Second World War. The s ...

) *Ninth Avenue School * North High School (1924-1979) - Bishop Watterson rents use of the stadium for football games *Northridge School *Northwood Avenue School *Pilgrim Elementary School *Pinecrest Elementary School * Reeb Avenue Elementary School *Scioto Trail Elementary School *Sharon School *Stockbridge Elementary School *Third Street School *Walford Elementary

2006-2007 Report Card

For the 06-07 school year, the district improved its rating to "Continuous Improvement" on the department of education's rating scale. The district met 42 of 42 adequate yearly progress goals, which allowed the rating to improve.

2021-2022 Report Card

The Ohio Department of Education adopted a new 5-star rating system for the 21-22 Ohio School Report Card system. After a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts received scores for the first time since the 2018-2019 school year. Although Columbus City Schools' "Graduation" ("the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate and the five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate") and "Early Literacy" ("measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade") were rated at 1/5 stars, the district's "Progress" ("growth all students are making based on their past performances") and "Gap Closing" ("the reduction in educational gaps for student subgroups") were rated at 3/5 stars. The district also scored 2/5 stars in "Achievement" ("whether student performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall"), with all selectable grade level data falling short of those similar districts and the state of Ohio. Looking at "Gap Closing" data, the most growth occurred in English Language Arts.

Statistics

Students: 50,809 Expenditures per student: $13,674 ...by gender Male: 51.0% Female: 49.0% ...by ethnicity African-American: 58.07% Caucasian: 25.58% Hispanic: 6.74% Multi-racial: 5.29% Asian: 2.09% American Indian/Native Alaskan: 0.2% ...about our students Languages spoken at home: 89 Speak English as a second language: 11.5% Have Limited English Proficiency: 9.5% Receive district ESL services: 6.4% Students transported by CCS daily: 32, 140 Identified as Gifted & Talented: 17.7% Receive Special Education services: 16.06% Receive a free or reduced-price meal: 68.93% Student Mobility Rate: 19.7% Average Daily Attendance: 94.5% Schools: 118 ...by grade level Elementary (K-5): 63 STEM Elementary Academies (PreK-6): 4 K-6: 6 K-8 Schools: 4 K-12 Schools (Africentric Early College): 1 Middle Schools (grades 6-8): 18 STEM Academy 7-12 (Linden-McKinley): 1 High School/Middle School 7-12 (South): 1 ESL Welcome Center (grades 6-12): 1 High Schools (grades 9-12): 16 Career Centers: 2 Special Services Schools: 3 Staff: 6,571 (FTE)# Staff demographics as of June 2011: by gender Male: 28.5% Female: 71.5% ...by ethnicity Caucasian: 62.6% African-American: 35.3% Hispanic: 1.2% Asian: 0.7% American Indian/Native Alaskan: 0.2%

References

{{Authority control School districts in Ohio Education in Columbus, Ohio School districts established in 1845 District boards of education in the United States