June 21, 2022 -- As Columbus City Schools prepares for the 2022-2023 academic school year, BlendED, the online education platform for hundreds of students in grades K-12, is shifting from a program to an online school. With that change comes a new name.
The Columbus Board of Education approved changing the name from BlendED to the Columbus Online Academy at its June 7th board meeting. However, the name is not the only change students and families will see.
“For seniors who complete all their graduation requirements, their diploma will now say Columbus Online Academy,” said Christian Angel, Columbus Online Academy High School Principal. “Before, the student's home school associated with their home address was always listed along with BlendED, but not anymore. Columbus Online Academy is a school just like any other brick and mortar high school in the District.” Grades K-8 is under the leadership of Principal Robert Losee.
Parents can expect the same high-quality teaching, support, and care that students attending in-person instruction receive. Columbus Online Academy is geared toward CCS students that prefer a primarily online learning environment with the periodic option for in-person support; all state-required testing is done in district. In addition, students will continue to be eligible to participate in sports and extracurricular activities at their home school of address.
Along with the name change, students enrolled in the Columbus Online Academy do not have to re-enroll each year.
Angel and Losee are optimistic about the program’s growth in the coming years. A recent survey showed that families not only prefer this online schooling option for their students, but they also want it to continue. There are 800 students enrolled in the Columbus Online Academy for the 2022-2023 school year, a 20% increase from the previous school year.
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year at Columbus Online Academy is closed to currently enrolled CCS students. However, students newly enrolled in the District may still apply.
