Back to School Updates

Dear CCS Community,

The start of the 2022-2023 school year is just a few days away, and I know there is still a level of uncertainty around the scheduled start of school. Our priority remains serving students, families, and our entire CCS community.

Whether the first day of school on August 24 takes place in classrooms or online, my anticipation and excitement for another school year remain high.

As we continue to prepare for any situation, the support you’ll find at Saturday’s Back-to-School Family Resource Fair is even more important. In addition to the partnerships around back-to-school resources, the greater Columbus community has also stepped up to provide Learning Extension Centers and support with student meal pick-up locations in the event we start the 2022-2023 school year online.

I encourage everyone to visit our Back-to-School Hub for the latest updates about the new school year, including information and resources for alternative opening plans in the event the CEA strike does occur.

I remain hopeful that we will welcome our teachers and students back on Wednesday, but we also know the responsibility we have to serve our students and families regardless.

Sincerely,

Talisa Dixon

Superintendent/CEO, Columbus City Schools

We know families have questions about the Columbus Board of Education's negotiations with the Columbus Education Association. We've created an Alternative Opening Information page where you can find FAQs, a newsfeed, and everything families need to know.

In the event that Columbus City Schools begins the school year in online learning, the Department of Academic Services has created an online learning resource guide which is designed to be a one-stop shop to help students and parents discover how to approach and apply a comprehensive online learning plan to ensure student success. This option allows educators the ability to present students with lessons they can complete independently or with the help of an available family member outside of an online learning platform.

Many of our community partners have already expressed their willingness to open their doors to reactivate the Learning Extension Centers (LECs) that were helpful for students during the early stages of the pandemic. These LECs are safe, adult-supervised, welcoming spaces where students are supported while learning virtually during the day. Students have access to the internet, learning devices, and school supplies to assist them in remote learning (if they need more than the Chromebook supplied by the District). We will share more specific information about where LECs will be available across the city. Please visit our Back-to-School Hub for the latest updates.

New this year: parents of general-education high school students eligible for yellow bus transportation must opt-in for transportation services for the 2022-2023 school year. The deadline for guaranteed transportation by the first day of school has passed; however, parents can still opt-in through the Parent Portal to receive busing for their child.

Parents who haven’t received their child’s bus stop information by August 22nd are encouraged to call the transportation call center at 614-365-5074 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Join us this Saturday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the campus of Fort Hayes Arts & Academic High School for the CCS Back-to-School Family Resource Fair.

Click here to RSVP for the CCS Back-to-School Family Resource Fair.

CCS departments and community partners across Columbus, such as Nationwide Children’s Hospital, American Red Cross, Making a Difference, Mount Vernon District Improvement Association, NBC4, and many more. Partners will be on-hand connecting students and families with resources to make sure they’re ready for the first day of school, including:

• Free backpack and school supply giveaways;
• Health screenings and sports physicals (Appointments Required - Schedule HERE);
• Immunizations and vaccinations; and
• Help with all your CCS needs from enrollment to bus stops to Chromebooks and everything in between!

The District is also partnering with the American Red Cross and its Resilient Community Project to sponsor a blood drive and combat the critical donor need in our community. Interested donors can click HERE to schedule an appointment using the sponsor code “FortHayes.”

The August 20 CCS Back-to-School Family Resource Fair will be an afternoon filled with important information, resources, and fun for the entire family!

Chromebooks for students new to the district will be issued at your student's assigned school building for the 2022-2023 school year.

Students will receive their Chromebooks prior to school starting. Distribution information will be communicated by your school. Parents or guardians will be required to sign a liability agreement before receiving the device.

If your student is a returning scholar who has a broken or damaged Chromebook, please bring it back to school, and the damaged Chromebook will be scheduled for repairs or replacement. In the event school buildings are closed, technicians will be available at our food sites for repairs and replacements.

Parents can call or text our Help Desk at 614.365.8425 for help with their technology questions.

Please visit our Back-to-School Hub for important, timely back-to-school-related announcements and updates.

Students can access “grab and go” meals at 25 designated school sites across the city. The sites will be open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. starting Wednesday, August 24.

Families will have the option to choose both hot and cold meals, and students will be provided with lunch for the day and a breakfast option for the next day. Students will take the meals with them in grab-and-go containers. CCS Safety and Security personnel will assist in managing access to the meal sites.

Grab-and-go meal service sites can be seen below. Students can visit any site to receive meals.

Unfortunately, these activities will be rescheduled and, in some instances, cancelled. Our teachers make up almost 60% of our coaching staff and extra-curricular advisors, so we will not have the ability to provide appropriate supervision to maintain the safety of our student-athletes and our other extra-curricular participants. Our buildings will be closed to conditioning and other practices. The coaches and advisors that will still be working will provide activities/resources for students to continue their activity while in remote learning. This will allow those students to be prepared for the return of their activities once the strike is over.

CCS hosts weekly Zoom sessions addressing the most pressing topics and answering the most common questions families have. Called Virtual Family Engagement Sessions, these sessions are hosted by the Department of Communications and Engagement and feature expert District staff and many of our community partners sharing information and insights on important topics.

Please visit our RSVP page to view and register for upcoming sessions. You can also watch back sessions from the 2022-23 school year below.

Below please find the 2022-23 academic calendars for the traditional school years and the year-round school, Woodcrest Elementary.