Summary:
The Columbus City Schools District covers 113 schools in Ohio's capital — 72 elementary, 18 middle, 22 high, and 1 alternative — and the district overall ranks 683 of 773, in the 12th percentile with 1 star. That district-level rating appears on nearly every school record, so parents should compare individual schools using rank history and test scores rather than the district label. The district is below the state in every subject and grade shown, with the largest gaps in Algebra I (26.0% vs. 61.6%), Geometry (14.8% vs. 43.3%), Biology, and English II.
A small group of schools performs well above district norms. Clinton Elementary School is the clearest standout at 188 of 1,560 schools, 88th percentile, 4 stars, with 5th grade ELA at 89.4% and chronic absenteeism of 15.6% — far below the district's 53.8%. Ecole Kenwood French Immersion (79th percentile, 4 stars) has the lowest chronic absenteeism among regular schools at 8.3%, and Indian Springs Elementary School (73rd percentile, 4 stars) sits at 22.2%. Indianola Informal K-8 School and South Mifflin STEM Academy (K-6) both rank in the 56th percentile. Among high schools, Columbus Alternative High School is the top traditional option, with a 94.7% graduation rate and Government proficiency of 82.4%.
Chronic absenteeism is strongly associated with lower achievement: top performers sit below roughly 23%, while the lowest-performing schools often exceed 60%, reaching 97.1% at Columbus Online Academy. Graduation rate can mask weak proficiency — Eastmoor Academy graduates 98.6% but posts low test scores. Several middle schools show exceptional advanced-math results, including Woodward Park Middle School (97% Algebra I) and Dominion Middle School (100% Geometry, 91% Algebra I). Spending does not track outcomes simply: Columbus Africentric Early College High School spends the most at $16,917 per student yet has low proficiency, while Clinton spends $10,742. Free/reduced lunch data is blank for every school, and some schools lack current rank or test data — those blanks are unavailable, not zero.
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