Our History

Northgate School opened as an elementary Kindergarten - 6th grade school in 1977. Dr. John Ellis was the superintendent at the time. (He later moved to Washington, DC to become Executive Deputy Commissioner of Education)

In July 1977, Duane Stemen was reassigned from Deshler ES to become the first principal of the new northside school. Two years later, in September 1979, Columbus Public Schools began the court-ordered bussing of over 79,000 students in 140 schools. The student population attending public schools in the Northland area dropped as a result. Because of falling enrollment, Northgate was closed as an elementary building at the end of the 1981-1982 school year. Duane Stemen was then reassigned to Salem Elementary School having been only principal Northgate Elementary ever had.

From 1983 until 1985, the Columbus School Board leased Northgate to the Ohio School of Career Technology.

In August of 1985, Northgate was re-opened as a Northgate Staff Development Center with Maxine Smith as the director. It remained the center of professional development for teachers, administrators, and staff until 2015.

In December of 2015, the French immersion program of Columbus City Schools, Ecole Kenwood, moved into Northgate and used it as a swing space until their new building was completed. Mme. Emma Corbin was the principal while Northgate was their home.

Due to overcrowding in two northside elementary schools, Northgate was opened again. In the summer of 2016, Ecole Kenwood moved out, and the 4th and 5th grade teams from Alpine and Avalon Elementary Schools moved in creating Northgate Intermediate School. We became Columbus City Schools' only 4th-5th intermediate building under the direction of Principal Andre Jones.

Grade Levels at Northgate

1977-1982: K - 6th (Nothgate Elementary School - Mr. Duane Stemen, Principal)

1983-1985: Leased to Ohio School of Career Technology (now defunct)

1985-2015: None (Northgate Staff Developement Center - Various Directors)

2015-2016: K-6th (Ecole Kenwood French Immersion - Mme. Emma Corbin, Principal)

2016-Present: 4th - 5th (Northgate Intermediate School - Mr. Andre Jones, Principal)