During his May 6 appearance on KLIR’s Community Spotlight, Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Chip Kay reflected on a busy and celebratory time across the district. From end-of-year recognitions to community meetings and student accomplishments, the district is wrapping up the school year with pride and purpose.
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Students Shine at State and National Levels
CPS students received well-deserved recognition. The district’s SkillsUSA program saw multiple students qualify for nationals, including state champions in quiz bowl, technical drafting, esthetics, CPR/first aid, and mechatronics—an event where CPS students are defending back-to-back national titles. Additional qualifiers came from FCCLA and FBLA, including first-place finishes in family and consumer sciences and business leadership competitions.
Columbus also celebrated two Destination Imagination state champion teams—one from the high school and one from the middle school—showcasing creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Academic achievement was also front and center during the Top Scholars Ceremony, which honored the top 10 percent of students from each high school grade level, as well as a record number of freshmen who maintained a 4.0 GPA through their first year.
Growth Planning and Community Input
Dr. Kay also shared updates on the district’s growth planning process. The final public meeting took place May 1, and CPS collected valuable input through both in-person forums and a widely viewed online presentation. A summary of the feedback will be reviewed by the Board of Education on May 12.
“We received strong support, but also some clear misconceptions about school funding,” Dr. Kay noted. He emphasized that state, federal, and local property taxes are the main sources of revenue for public schools—not gambling or sales tax—and addressed how these funds are managed through formula-based budgeting and state-imposed levy limits.
“Our goal is to educate the community on how public school funding works, and how we responsibly manage every dollar,” he said. “It’s important that we keep building trust and transparency.”
Dr. Kay expects to share more details about a potential long-term plan during his next update on May 20.
Recognizing Staff and Students
The week of May 6 marks Staff Appreciation Week, and CPS is showing gratitude in full force. Board members and administrators are personally delivering handwritten thank-you notes and offering staff members a voucher to the district’s spirit wear store. “We also delivered cinnamon rolls to every building this morning,” said Dr. Kay. “It’s a small gesture, but one that shows how much we value our team.”
This Friday, the district will host its annual staff convocation to honor years of service, retirees, and outstanding employees. Awards will be presented by the CPS Foundation and local sponsors, recognizing new and veteran educators, as well as classified and operations staff.