What is the story about?
Tick-tock. That's the sound of your student's summer vacation waning away, with just a week for some students before they're back in the classroom.
For school districts like Groveport Madison, Bexley, Upper Arlington and many others around the region, that time is now precious short – they'll return to school as soon as Aug. 11.
Students in the region's largest districts, however, Columbus City and Olentangy Local, can breathe a little easier since they don't return until Aug. 20. Others, like Lancaster City Schools, don't come back until Sept. 1 (lucky you).
While we've got you, maybe take a moment to refresh yourself on when you have to stop for a school bus (which you will be seeing on the road very soon).
Here's a list of central Ohio school districts and when they return
- Bexley City Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of kindergarten for partial roster
- Aug. 13 - First day of classes for grades 1-6 and 9
- Aug. 14 - All students attend classes
- Big Walnut Local Schools:
- Aug. 20 - First day of classes for students with last names A-K
- Aug. 21 - First day of classes for students with last names L-Z
- Aug. 24 - All students report
- Bloom-Carroll Local Schools:
- Aug. 19 - First day for grades 1-12
- Buckeye Valley Local Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of classes for grades 1-12 and kindergarten students with last names A-M. Aug. 14 - Kindergarten students with last names N-Z start; all kindergarten students will attend Aug. 17.
- Canal Winchester Local Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for students in grades 1-6 and 9
- Aug. 13 - First day of kindergarten for students last name A-L
- Aug. 14 - First day of kindergarten for students last name M-Z
- Aug. 14 - All students grade 1-12 attend
- Columbus City Schools:
- July 23 - First day of classes for Woodcrest Elementary
- July 28 - First day of pre-K and kindergarten at Woodcrest
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for all other students
- Delaware City Schools:
- Aug. 19 - First day of school grades 1-12
- For kindergarten students, the schedule is: Aug. 6, 7 and 10 - Kindergarten Screening Dates; entry days for Gentle Start will be set.Aug. 19 and 20: Gentle Start Days(staggered student entry)Aug. 21 - Meet the Teacher Night 4:30-5:30 p.m. Aug. 24 - First day of school for kindergarten students
- Dublin City Schools:
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for grades K-12
- Aug. 26 - First day for pre-school
- Fairbanks Local Schools:
- Aug. 19 - Grades 1-12
- Aug. 24 - Kindergarten and preschool
- Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools:
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for all students
- Grandview Heights City Schools:
- Aug. 12 - First day for all students
- Granville Exempted Village Schools:
- Aug. 18: Open House - 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (staggered times by last name). Last Names A-I 4:00-4:30 p.m.; J-Q 4:45-5:15 p.m.; R-Z 5:30-6:00 p.m.
- Aug. 19/20: First Days of School (staggered start by last name). Last Names A-K - Aug. 19; Last Names L-Z, Aug. 20
- Aug. 21: All students in grades 1-12 attend. Kindergarten students need to follow the schedule in their staggered start letters.
- Groveport Madison Local Schools:
- Aug. 11 - First day of school for grades 1-6 and 9
- Aug. 12 - All 1-12 students report
- Aug. 14 - First day of school for kindergarten students with last names A-L
- Aug. 17 - First day of school for kindergarten students with last names M-Z
- Aug. 18 - First day of school for all kindergarten students
- Hamilton Local Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for grades 1-12
- Aug. 13- First day of school for kindergarten students with last names A-L
- Aug. 14 - First day of school for kindergarten students with last names M-Z
- Aug. 17 - First day of school for all kindergarten students
- Hilliard City Schools:
- Aug. 19 - First day of school for all students
- Jonathan Alder Local Schools:
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for grades 1-12
- Aug. 20 - Staggered kindergarten start
- Aug. 21 - Staggered kindergarten start
- Lancaster City Schools
- September 1 – First Day of School for Students Grades 1-8
- September 1 – First Day of School for Students Grades 10-12 (Last Name A-K)
- September 2 – First Day of School for Students Grades 10-12 (Last Name L-Z)
- September 3 – First Day of School for Students Only Grade 9 (Frosh Fest)
- September 4 – All Students Grades 1-12 In Session
- Licking Heights Local Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for grades 1-9
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for kindergarten students with last names A-K
- Aug. 14 - First day for all students in grades 10-12
- Aug. 14 - First day of school for kindergarten students with last names L-Z
- Madison-Plains Local Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for all students.
- Marysville Exempted Village Schools:
- Aug. 21 - First day of school for grades 9-12
- Aug. 24 - First day of school for grades 1-8 together. Last names A-M begin Aug. 20; Last names N-Z begin Aug. 21
- New Albany-Plain Local Schools:
- Aug. 19 - First day of school for grade 1-12 students with last names A-K
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for grade 1-12 students with last names L-Z
- Aug. 21 - All students PK-12 attend
- Newark City Schools:
- Aug. 20 - First day of school
- North Union Local Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of school grades 1-12. Kindergarten has staggered start Aug. 13-14.
- Olentangy Local Schools:
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for all students
- Pickerington Local Schools
- Aug. 18-19 - staggered start for grades 1-12
- Aug. 20 - First day for all 1-12 students
- Aug. 21 - First day for kindergarten students
- Reynoldsburg City Schools:
- Aug. 20 - first day of school for K-9 students with last names A-K, all students 10-12
- Aug. 21 - First day for K-9 students with last names L-Z, all students 10-12
- Aug. 24 - All students attend
- South Western City Schools:
- Aug. 19 - First day for all students in grades 4-12
- Aug. 19 - First day of school for grades K-3 with last names A-G
- Aug. 20 - First day of school for grades K-3 with last names H-O
- Aug. 21 - First day of school for grades K-3 with last names P-Z
- Aug. 22 - All K-12 students attend
- Southwest Licking Local Schools:
- Aug. 17 - First day for Grades A-K (K-5) and Grades 6 & 9 only.
- Aug. 18 - First day for Grades L-Z (K-5) and all Middle/High School students
- Aug. 19 - First day of classes for all students K-12
- Teays Valley Local Schools:
- Aug. 12 - First day of school for grades K-9
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for grades 10-12
- Aug. 17 - First day of preschool
- Upper Arlington City Schools:
- Aug. 12 - First day for grades 1-6 and 9
- Aug. 12-13 - Kindergarten orientation
- Aug. 13 - All students grade 1-12 atttend
- Aug. 14 - All K-12 students attend
- Westerville City Schools:
- Aug. 18 - First day of school for grades 1-6 and 9
- Aug. 18-20 - "Gentle start" for kindergarten students
- Aug. 19 - All 1-12 students attend
- Aug. 19-20 - "Gentle start" for pre-kindergarten students
- Aug. 21 - First day of school for all kindergarten students
- Aug. 24 - First day of school for all pre-kindergarten students
- Whitehall City Schools:
- Aug. 13 - First day of school for grades 1-6 and 9
- Aug. 14 - All students 1-12 attend
- Aug 20 - First day of school for pre-K and kindergarten students
- Worthington City Schools:
- Aug. 19 - First day of school for all students
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and
school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Time is nearly up. Here's when kids go back to school in central Ohio
