Get Schooled

A look inside Columbia public and private education

nn BY JENNA ALLEN

School Pride

Easily identify Columbia high schools by reading about the colors and mascots of each below.

PUBLIC Battle High School Colors: Navy blue and gold Mascot: Spartans Douglass High School Colors: Royal blue and white Mascot: Bulldogs Hickman High School Colors: Purple and gold Mascot: Kewpies Rock Bridge High School Colors: Green and gold Mascot: Bruins

PRIVATE Columbia Independent School Colors: Blue and gold Mascot: Lions Heritage Academy Colors: Maroon and blue Mascot: Warriors Christian Fellowship School Colors: Red, black and white Mascot: Knights Father Tolton Catholic High School Colors: White and Columbia blue Mascot: Trailblazers The importance of an excellent education is a staple of the Columbia community. The area offers a wealth of educational opportunities through public and private means. Students here excel in their classrooms and in their postsecondary education careers, whether they attend public or private school. Both systems equip students with the tools necessary to succeed — it’s just a matter of finding the right fit for your family and, most importantly, your child. Explore the key components of Columbia public and private schools below.

Columbia Public Schools

Accredited with distinction by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Columbia Public Schools is the fifth-largest district in the state and includes 21 elementary schools, seven middle schools, four high schools, a career education center and an early childhood learning center. The school district’s newest building is the recently completed John Warner Middle School, opening for the 2020-21 school year. The district also completed an addition to Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School in 2020 and is currently constructing a classroom addition to Rock Bridge Elementary School. In 2019-20, CPS boasted an enrollment of 19,052 students from preschool to grade 12 and a student-to-teacher ratio of 13:1.

Nearly 90% of Columbia Public School students extend their education beyond high school and more than 75% attend a college or university.

Student performance on the ACT and SAT exams exceed state and national averages. Of the 2,300 students taking advanced placement courses, 81.1% earn college credit. The average Columbia teacher holds a master’s degree and has 12½ years of professional experience.

To learn more about Columbia Public Schools, visit cpsk12.org.

Private Schools

More than 4,000 students in Columbia receive their education through area private schools. Options include Montessori programs, faith-based schools (such as Christian Fellowship School, Father Tolton Catholic High School and The Islamic School of Columbia-Missouri), college preparatory choices (such as Columbia Independent School) and more.

Private education, with its smaller enrollment numbers, offers unique opportunities for individual growth and leadership development in a family environment. Kari Dowell, director of admissions and marketing at Columbia Independent School, says that small class sizes are a key contributing factor to student success. “[Private school class sizes] are smaller than in public schools,” Dowell says, “and that allows the teachers to provide more individualized instruction to students.”

Advocates note that private schools often have a close-knit atmosphere as teachers, students and families get to know each other well. The community they create is a supportive educational environment that encourages individual achievement and improves academic abilities. l