FAQ's

Student enrollment for grades Pre K-12, work permits, transcripts, School Choice/Lottery, Inter-District Open Enrollment (IOE), processing of Annual Updates for change of address (with or without school change),  Home Education, Health Services for new enrollments, Special Education placement for new enrollments, special needs Pre-K assessments, review of out of country/out of state transcripts and Social Services to assist families new to CCS in overcoming barriers.

The Central Enrollment Center is located at 430 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215, on the Fort Hayes Campus, at the corner of Cleveland Ave. and Jack Gibbs Blvd.

The phone number for the Central Enrollment Center is 614-365-4011. The fax number is 614-365-4013. The email is centralenrollment@columbus.k12.oh.us 

The Central Enrollment Center’s hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. 

The Central Enrollment Center completes enrollment for Pre-K through-12^th grade.

Enrollment for students “new” to the district and students transferring to another Columbus City School, as a result of change in address, will be completed at the Enrollment Center.

The Division of Registrar, ESL Enrollment and Assessment, Health Services, School Choice/Lottery Office, School Counseling, School Social Workers, Special Education Services and Transportation Services work within the center to assist with program specific enrollment.

On-Line-Registration (OLR) is an electronic process that allows parents to complete a student preregistration on-line on their personal computer or tablet. Parents can complete the On-Line Registration conveniently at home or at a remote location with computer and internet access.

No.  Enrollment appointments are no longer required as of 1/3/24.

To enroll, please visit the Columbus City Schools’ website: (www.ccsoh.us). Click on Enroll Today. Click on Speedy Pass On-Line Registration – Complete your on-line application.  Online Registrations/Enrollment Applications are processed in the order they are submitted.  Once processed, the parent/guardian is notified of the school of enrollment, start date and pertinent information.

Enrollment documents required are:

• Birth Certificate, (I-94 or Passport acceptable)
• Address verification (i.e. recent gas, water, electric bill, Lease, or employment records, payroll stub with name & address listed) - Please visit the Necessary Documents on the website for a list of all acceptable documentation.
• Immunization History
• Parent Photo ID
• Custody Documents (if applicable)
• EP/MFE (if applicable)
• TB Results (if born outside the US or traveled outside the US for more than 30 days within the last 2 years) TB results must be from the United States.
• Previous grade card, transcript, and test scores (if applicable)
• Early Education Eligibility Screen Tool (Pre-K Only)
• Proof of Income (Pre-K Only)

For a full list of acceptable enrollment documents, please visit https://www.ccsoh.us/Page/1170

Parents must upload the required enrollment documents at the time of completing the Online Registration via the Speedy Pass. Central Enrollment Specialists are required by law (ORC 3313.672) to verify birth documents, residence and parent/guardianship status. Online Registrations (enrollment applications) will be returned for editing if documentation is invalid or not presented.

Our Project Connect team is here to assist you. Please feel free to contact them at 614-365-5140.  

If the student is in high school he/she is placed into a Non-determined status (ND) until transcripts are received from the previous school and evaluated by a school counselor. If the student is in elementary or middle school, students are placed in the grade level indicated by the parent an/or age upon enrollment. If records from the previous school conflicts with what the parent indicated upon enrollment, the school will determine the appropriate grade level and notify the Central Enrollment Center if a grade level change is warranted.

If a high school student is enrolling from outside of the country, it is the parent's responsibility to submit the out of the country transcript. The transcript must be officially stamped, dated and signed by a school official.

No. CCS requires every student to complete and submit a lottery application, via the Parent Portal, to be eligible for a chance to enroll into a school other than the school of address.

Parents may utilize the Find Your School link, contact Columbus City Schools Factline at 614-221-3228 or the Division of School Choice at 614-365-7459.

The catchment areas are assigned based on population of areas in order to balance enrollments.

Enrollment for Pre-K-12 begins in January when school resumes from winter break. It is important to note, that Pre-K can complete the Online Registration in January, however the window to make school selections does not open in the Parent Portal until April.

Custody documents are needed to protect you and your student.

Ohio Revised Code 3109.042 (Custody rights of unmarried mother) states: An unmarried female who gives birth to a child is the sole residential parent and legal custodian of the child until a court of competent jurisdiction issues an order designating another person as the residential parent and legal custodian. A court designating the residential parent and legal custodian of a child described in this section shall treat the mother and father as standing upon an equality when making the designation. 

A father who is listed on the child’s birth certificate can enroll using a custody affidavit that will be completed by the father at the time of enrollment.  A motion for custody or proof of custody must be provided within 60 days after the date of enrollment or the student will be withdrawn. Please contact the Franklin County Clerk of Courts office at (614) 525-4460 for further details.

No. You need to obtain custody or guardianship of the child and, as required by Ohio Law, proof of custody must be provided at the time of enrollment. Please contact the Franklin County Clerk of Courts office at (614) 525-4460 for further details.

Yes, IF the motion is court-filed, stamped, and has a future hearing date, typically within 60 days. The Central Enrollment Center can accept this motion until the final court documents are completed.

No. The Columbus City School District will not accept notarized statements. You need to obtain custody/guardianship of the child and, as required by Ohio Law, proof of custody must be provided at the time of enrollment. Please contact the Franklin County Clerk of Courts office at (614) 525-4460 for further details.

No. The child must attend school in the district of the “residential parent for school placement purposes" as stated in the divorce/separation agreement and/or shared parenting plan.

No. According to Ohio Law, a non-custodial parent has the same rights as a custodial parent pertaining to student records. The only exception is if you have a protection order or restraining order which would not allow access by the other parent. If you have such an order and wish for us to honor your request, your child's school MUST have a copy of the protection order. Otherwise, the school district cannot deny the non-custodial parent rights to student records.

No. You must enroll from the custodial (parent for residential purposes) parent’s address.

You will need to complete the Annual Update through the Parent Portal.

No. School secretaries can update phone numbers, but addresses must be updated via the Annual Update in the Parent Portal. 

The Columbus City Schools is pleased to offer families different schooling options to help meet a range of family/student needs. Through the School Choice Lottery, families can apply to attend a school other than the school of address for the following school year. Once the school year begins, the only way for a student to transfer schools is with a change of address. For more information on the School Choice Lottery, please visit the FAQ’s on the School Choice Lottery website.

Students are assigned to schools based on the address. Parents desiring a school other than the school of address should utilize the School Choice Lottery process to apply for available seats for the following school year.

A Request to Return to Homeschool application must be submitted for the following school year via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by the end of the 3^rd quarter for the current school year.

Parents and legal guardians can complete the SpeedyPass Online registration beginning in January. School selections can be made via the Parent Portal beginning in April (check the website for specific dates). 

Pre-K students must be 4 years old by September 30^th. If your child will be 5 years old by September 30^th he/she is not eligible for Pre-K but is eligible for Kindergarten.

Please visit the Pre-K page for additional information about priority guidelines for Pre-K enrollment.

No. If your child is being promoted to a regular education kindergarten he/she will automatically transition into his/her school of address for kindergarten.

Parents should contact the Division of Early Childhood Education at 614-365-5822 if they have additional questions about enrollment of Pre-K students.

No. Designated program specific types of enrollment will remain “proprietary” within the CCS office responsible for initiating and maintaining student enrollment within those designated offices.

No, when an expulsion is complete, the student is to report to his/her assigned school.

You can reach ESL Assessment staff by calling the Central Enrollment Center number at 614-365-4011.

Students who spoke another language when they first learned to speak, or use another language frequently, must be assessed for English proficiency. This assessment is completed to make sure that students are given the opportunity for services that will best meet their needs and provide the resources to help them succeed.

Yes. Please bring the academic information from other countries that you have for your child.

If your student was born outside the US or traveled outside the US for more than 60 days within the last two years, they should meet the nurse to decide whether they need a TB test. If your student had a TB test done since returning from outside the US, bring that documentation to show the nurse.

Staff assigned to the Central Enrollment Center are available to assist ESL families with enrollment. Special Education Coordinators will assist Enrollment Specialists with enrollment of students requiring Special Education Services.

The school can request an interpreter or you can call the ESL Department at 614-365-8802 to request an interpreter.

If you suspect your child has a disability, consult with the staff at the school to start an evaluation process.

Placements into the Gifted and Talented Program are NOT completed at the Central Enrollment Center. Please contact the Gifted and Talented Program at 614-365-6626.

• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Special Education
• Gifted and Talented

The Division of the Registrar provides the following services to CCS students:

• Processes CCS student work permit requests (students ages 14-17)
• Tracks missing CUM files
• Processes “Medical” transfers
• Processes “Child Care” transfers
• Processes “Foreign Exchange Student” applications
• Processes “Custody” documentation
• Updates the State of Ohio Student Identifier System with name changes that have been made in Infinite Campus (I.C.) at the school (legal documentation and a copy of the change, i.e. screen shot in I.C. must be submitted)
• Processes requests for withdrawal of students that are incarcerated or are residing in a treatment facility (i.e. DYS, Abraxas, Paint Creek, COYC). These withdrawal requests MUST be processed in the Division of the Registrar ONLY.
• Processes transcript requests for ALL closed CCS middle schools and high schools, as well as open CCS middle schools and high schools that do not have a microfiche machine.

The Division of the Registrar processes transcript requests for CCS students only.

In an effort to provide better and more secure service for our customers, all alumni student records requests including graduation verification, transcripts, immunization records, or the complete student record must be made online using our online student record request system. 

Please use the following link to access our online student records request system:  https://ccsoh.scriborder.com

Columbus City Schools is pleased to offer families different schooling options to help meet a range of student/family needs. Through the School Choice lottery, students can apply for up to three schools to be in a lottery for available seats. For more information, please click here.

You will need to email a photo ID and your child's name and date of birth to parentportalaccess@columbus.k12.oh.us requesting the information.

You will need to complete the Online Registration and schedule an appointment to have your child added to the Student Information System (if you are not already enrolled).  At the appointment you will receive an access code to apply for Interdistrict Open Enrollment (IOE).  If there is still availability in the school of application after Columbus City Schools students are placed, IOE offers will be made.  Application does not guarantee admittance.   

You can search report cards for districts and schools on the Ohio Department of Education website:http://education.ohio.gov/

Information regarding community schools may be found at: http://education.ohio.gov/ or http://knowyourcharter.com/

Yes, but the withdrawal has to be initiated at the school. Enrollment Specialists will electronically end date students within Infinite Campus ONLY after school secretaries have completed the Electronic Withdrawal/End Date form.

The school office must continue to exercise due diligence in regard to student attendance and withdrawal practices.