Right Now Downtown

Columbus City Schools continues to receive recognition for the high quality of its instruction.  U.S. News and World Report ranked 12 City high schools as among the top 9% of high schools nationally.  The publication also listed Columbus Alternative High School as a top International Baccalaureate school, the only school in the state of Ohio to receive this top listing.

The 20 and 30 somethings who have bought into urban living should be relieved to know that they can have babies and stay in the City Schools without facing child abuse charges.  In fact, their kids may receive the best education in central Ohio.

Unfortunately, the local media continue to portray the Columbus City Schools as a failing district that struggles to maintain order and educate its pupils.  This simplistic coverage does not acknowledge the role of poverty in the District’s performance or its many high achieving schools.

Most schools tend to struggle with overwhelming concentrations of poverty.  City schools that maintain middle class enrollment, however, tend to perform as well or better than their suburban counterparts.  Together, these schools enroll more than three times the student population of Upper Arlington.

Once again, the Columbus City School District has more schools rated effective, excellent or excellent with distinction than any other district in central Ohio.  Columbus City Schools excel because of generous tax levy support, high-quality staffing, top-rate facilities, and the leadership of Superintendent Gene Harris. 

The state grade for the District as a whole, based on standardized tests, is “continuous improvement.”   This grade is an average for all schools and reveals nothing about individual schools.  Columbus is a huge district with 127 rated schools and a disproportionate number of students who speak limited English, are poor, or have learning disabilities.  Schools with concentrations of poverty or high enrollments of students with language or learning barriers tend to struggle to meet testing standards despite excellent instruction. 

Columbus also has many schools that are economically and culturally integrated.  These schools tend to perform as well or better than their suburban counterparts as shown by standardized test scores.  

Given the failure rate of suburban school levies, perhaps more middle-class parents will discover what city parents already know.  Families who choose to live in a city neighborhood have great educational options for their children.