The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls
Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in Columbus, serving a student body that is predominantly Black, with smaller populations of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students. The enrollment is small for a middle school, distributed across three grades with roughly balanced cohorts per grade. The school's free-or-reduced-price lunch count and rate were not available in the data.
On Ohio's State Tests in the most recent school year, the school's performance was mixed. In English language arts, about half of tested students met proficiency, placing the school solidly in the middle range for that subject. In science, the proficiency rate was also around half. Mathematics was the school's significant weakness: roughly a quarter of tested students met proficiency, well below the level expected for the state. The school participated at very high rates in all tested subjects, suggesting strong attendance or engagement on test day. Science testing data reflected a smaller group of students than ELA and math, which may indicate that not all students are enrolled in grade-level science by test administration. Trend data was available only for the single most recent year, so whether performance has been stable, rising, or falling cannot be determined from the available results.
Positioned among districts across Franklin County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This means that across all tested subjects and grades, the school is performing below where most other county districts are, with math being the principal driver of that positioning.
The school is located on Bryden Road on Columbus's South Side in the 43205 zip code. Housing values in that area are substantially below the state benchmark and notably below the national average, with rents similarly modest. This reflects a lower-cost neighborhood within the metro area. The community is experiencing economic conditions typical of the broader central Ohio region, which is growing rapidly overall, though neighborhood-specific economic trajectories vary.
Columbus itself is Ohio's largest city and the state capital, anchored by downtown's Broad and High corridor, the Ohio State University campus to the north, and distinct residential neighborhoods ranging from walkable historic districts like German Village to more dispersed residential areas. The city is a major employment hub with a diversified base spanning government, education, healthcare, finance, insurance, and logistics, drawing from five Fortune 500 companies headquartered locally and major expansion projects in the pipeline. Growth in the metro has been among the fastest in the Midwest.
The Columbus City Schools District has undergone significant changes in recent years. Voters approved a lasting property tax levy in late 2023 that generates substantial annual revenue for the district and directly increases the cost of homeownership in the district boundaries. The district implemented science-of-reading instruction across all elementary grades starting in 2021, aligning with Ohio's 2024 statewide mandate. More recently, in late 2024 and 2025, the district voted to close nine schools across elementary, middle, and alternative high school grades due to state funding pressures and consolidation, redrawn school boundaries, and eliminated transportation for many K-8 students attending schools outside their neighborhood or designated choice pathways. These are material changes for families in the district: any move into Columbus City Schools now involves navigating shifted boundaries, reduced busing access, and an expanded property tax bill.
A parent considering this school should understand that the math instruction needs attention. The ELA and science results show students engaging with content, but the mathematics proficiency gap is substantial and a parent may want to look into further with the school what is being done to strengthen that instruction and what supports are available for students who are struggling.
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