Columbus High School
1700 Cherokee Avenue, Columbus, GA, 31906-1405 - Map Map

School Overview:
Definition of Terms
Columbus High School
School Level High school
School Type Magnet School
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Muscogee County, GA
Awards Honored for National Blue Ribbon Award Blue Ribbon School – Selected in 2004  
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1303 students
% Male / % Female 39%  /  61%
Total Classroom Teachers 74 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 349 students
Grade 10 - 379 students
Grade 11 - 279 students
Grade 12 - 296 students
This School
(GA) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:18 1:16
Students by Ethnicity
This School
(GA) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 6% 2%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Black 26% 39%
% White 61% 52%
% Unknown 3 % 4%
Additional Student Information
This School
(GA) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 15% 33%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 6% 7%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
(GA) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Muscogee County School District
This School's Agency
(GA) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 62 7
Number of Students Managed 33,948 students 3,848 students
District Total Revenue $314,670,000 $34,253,000
District Expenditure $290,327,000 $34,226,000
District Revenue / Student $9,269 $8,902
District Expenditure / Student $8,552 $8,894
District Graduation Rates 70% 75%
In the News:
View all past news stories
School Notes:
  • Columbus High School is located in Columbus, Georgia. It serves as one of the Muscogee County School District's Liberal Arts Magnet school. It is one of the oldest high schools in Georgia. It opened in 1890 and has been located in various locations throughout the city. In the 2006-2007 school year it was ranked #9. In 2005, the school shared the ranking as the top high school in the state of Georgia. This distinction was shared with John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, Georgia.
  • Graduation Requirements
  • All Liberal Arts College Preparatory Magnet students entering the program as 9th graders must earn a total of 32 Carnegie units. To remain in the magnet program, students must maintain at least a "C" average in any taken course. Failure to do so can result in the removal of the student from Columbus High School, the one exception being for Freshmen who fail during their first semester, as the transition to high school might be overwhelming. Students are required to take one core course each year in English, Math, Science and Social Studies.
  • Community Involvement
  • Each year, students are required to serve 20 hours of volunteer work around the area at various agencies as part of their Social Studies class. 12th graders are required to do a senior project in which they must pick an activity they have never tried before, have a mentor teach the student what to do and how do it. Each senior must spend 100 hours on it and maintain a portfolio documenting their progress from the summer before their senior year until the final presentation in April. Then they must present their project in the form of a speech to a board.
  • Eligibility
  • Students qualify for entrance into the program based on:
  • 8th grade course averages of an 82 or better with the exception of algebra and foreign languages.
  • Recommendations from middle school counselor, Math, and English teachers.
  • Entrance exams performance in math, reading, and composition.
  • Students must maintain a "C" average in each academic course with the exception of one "F" in their Freshman year.
  • Location
  • The school sits atop a hill in the Lakebottom area of the city and across Cherokee Avenue from Lakebottom/Weracoba park, where the school shares athletic facilities with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department.
  • Students IDs
  • Students are required to wear ID cards around their necks at all times during school hours. It serves as the students' library and lunch card and can only be removed at the end of the day off of school property.
  • Activities
  • Students can spend their time out of class in the following extracurricular activities.
  • Athletics
  • Columbus High School is ranked fourth (2004) in AAAA schools in Georgia. The school is currently rated AAA by student population. Two thirds of the students participate in 41 different teams:
  • Boys'/Girls' Cross Country: 2008 Girls State Champions
  • Boys'/Girls' Track
  • Boys'/Girls' Basketball
  • Boys'/Girls' Tennis
  • Boys'/Girls' Golf
  • Boys'/Girls' Soccer
  • Baseball
  • Football
  • Marching Band- Drumline/Colorguard
  • JROTC Drill Team
  • JROTC Colorguard
  • Swim Team
  • Softball
  • Cheerleading (Competition, Football, and Basketball)
  • Wrestling: 2006 AAA State Champions
  • Rifle Team
  • Girls' Volleyball: 2007 AAA State Champions
  • Girls' Lacrosse
  • Rugby
  • Fine Arts
  • The Columbus High Drama department is the recipient of various state-wide awards including three state one act play competition wins, the most recent being in 2007 with the play, "Bee-Luther-Hatchee." The department typically produces three plays and one musical yearly through their company, Full House Productions in the small CHS Auditorium.
  • The CHS Chorus Puts on various concerts throughout the school year. These concert include the annual Potluck, Christmas Concert, and Spring Concert.
  • The orchestra, concert bands, jazz ensemble and advanced choirs have consistently earned superior ratings at competitions. Many CHS vocalists and instrumentalists are typically chosen for All-District, All-State, and the Governor's Honors Program. In the visual arts, individuals exhibit and compete locally and statewide using a variety of media including painting, sculpture/pottery, and photography.
  • Students are required to take at least one Fine Arts class in order to graduate Columbus High School.
  • Clubs/Organizations
  • Young Activists; Junior Civitan; GSA; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; National Art Honor Society; National Honor Society; Beta Club; Students Against Destructive Decisions; Language Clubs: Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Latin; Science Club; Robotics Club (Georgia State BotBall competition winner); Dead Poet's Society; Competition Mathematics Team; Academic Decathlon; Thespians Drama Society; Dance Team; Model UN; Gavel Club; Fired Up; Debate; Youth Alive; Student Council; Break dance Club; Chess Club; Mock Trial Club
  • Publications
  • The school newspaper and Sampler pieces are written by students as part of their Creative Writing class.
  • The Blue Streak, Newspaper
  • The Sampler, Literature/Art magazine
  • COHISCAN, Yearbook (Columbus HIgh SChool ANnual)
  • History
  • Notable alumni
  • Carson McCullers, American writer
  • Frank Thomas, professional baseball player
  • Nunnally Johnson, filmmaker/screenwriter
  • Sam Mitchell, NBA player and head coach
  • Reggie Abercrombie, Major League Baseball player
  • Ryan Dean, Baseball America All World Team 2000
  • Ketia Swanier, (WNBA Basketball Player), Connecticut Sun
  • Karen Spears Zacharias, American author
  • Scott Cameron Riley, American Spiritual Guide
  • Franklin Alai Wu, American Visionary
  • Nick Monzy Martin, American Gladiator
  • Timeline
  • 1890: The High School opens with co-educational classes. Classes are held in the existing Boys School at 10th Street and 2nd Avenue.
  • 1891: Mr. Homer Wright is elected principal of the High School and serves until he becomes Superintendent of Schools.
  • 1891-1892: The High School moves into the Bussey Home.
  • June 1892: The first class graduates from Columbus High School. The class is composed of sixteen girls and two boys. Graduation exercises are held at the Springer Opera House.
  • 1897-1898: A building is constructed to house the High School at 11th Street and 4th Avenue.
  • Fall 1898: The High School at 11th Street and 4th Avenue openes for classes.
  • 1900: Three alternative curricula are adopted for students-college preparation, classical and scientific.
  • 1904-1907: Georgia high schools begin to be accredited by the University of Georgia. Oral tradition maintains that CHS was "the first" or "one of the first" high schools in Georgia to be accredited. This fact has not been verified. Research is underway to verify the statement.
  • 1913: The first COHISCAN, the CHS annual, was published. The name is derived from the following: COlumbus HIgh SChool ANnual.
  • 1919: Junior ROTC is added.
  • 1921: Miss Edwina Wood, a member of the 1892 CHS graduating class, is appointed to the School Board. Miss Wood is the first woman appointed to this board and serves for twenty years.
  • 1923: The "Blue Devil" nickname is first applied by Gen. John J. Pershing in reference to spirited game play exhibited against Phillips High in Birmingham, Alabama. Previous to this time several nicknames had been used for the CHS sports teams. The "Orange Avalanche" is perhaps the best known.
  • May 31, 1924: A bond election is held to approve the purchase of land for and the building of a new high school. The bond passes "overwhelmingly."
  • 1924-1925: Sixteen acres in Wildwood Park are selected as the site of the new high school. The site is selected by popular vote. Starrett and Van Vlock of New York are chosen as designing architects with Hickman and Martin as local architects.
  • Sept. 2, 1925: The cornerstone for the new building is set at 1700 Cherokee Avenue.
  • Sept. 16, 1926: The dedication exercises for the building at 1700 Cherokee Avenue take place.
  • 1934: Home Economics is added to the curriculum.
  • 1943-1945: Miss Annie Massey, the first female CHS High School principal, leads the school during the war years.
  • 1962-1963: The building is expanded and additions are made.
  • June 12, 1981: Fire ravages the original section of the building.
  • 1981-1983: Construction and renovations to the building are undertaken. Air conditioning is added at this time. Grades are split and classes held at two locations, Rosemont School and Columbus Junior High School.
  • Aug. 27, 1983: Rededication ceremonies are held.
  • 1988:Construction of the alumni wall begins with first students of class of 1988.
  • 1990-1991: Centennial Celebration. Ceremonies are conducted including recognizing AFLAC as our Partner In Education.
  • 1991-1992: The first year of the Liberal Arts Magnet program; entering freshman class included the first magnet students. Ms. Linda Kellett is the founding lead teacher of the program. The first section of the Alumni Wall is completed.
  • 1995-1996: A leaky roof threatens accreditation and is the subject of several news reports; it is replaced in the summer of 1996.
  • 1999-2000: Ms. Susan Bryant replaces Dr. Ronnie Shehane as principal. Block scheduling is adopted in a modified 4x4 arrangement with yearlong AP courses meeting on alternate days. The Commemorative Plaza is added in front of the cafeteria. Resilient blue and white tile replaces carpeting in the building's hallways. Trees are removed in the student parking area.
  • 2000-2001: Renovations to the gym are undertaken and completed.
  • 2001-2002: CHS Liberal Arts Magnet becomes a total magnet school.
  • 2004-2005: CHS was named a Georgia School of Excellence and a National Blue Ribbon School.
  • Summer 2005: The school is renovated. The student parking area, long known for mud and haphazard parking arrangements, is renovated.
  • 2009: Judy Whitt replaces Susan Bryant as principal.
  • External links
  • Columbus High School Website
  • Columbus High Baseball
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
  • Add/edit information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (31906)
School Zip (31906)
(GA) State Average
Population (Approximate) 24,380 people 7,714,340 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 27% 21%
Population Average Age 35 years old 33 years old
Average Household size 2.4 persons 2.5 persons
Median Household Income $28,865 $44,678
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 5.1 rooms 5.6 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 48 years old 30 years old
View Current Housing Listings View current housing listings in this area
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (31906)


Zillow Median Value of Housing Unit
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Zillow Median Value of Housing Unit
% Owning / % Renting 50% / 50% 66% / 34%
School Map:
1. Jordan Vocational High School - 955 students - 1.1 mi. away - view location
2. Hardaway High School - 1463 students - 1.6 mi. away - view location
3. Carver High School - 1176 students - 1.7 mi. away - view location
4. Woodall Psychoeducational Program - n/a - 1.8 mi. away - view location
5. Kendrick High School - 1236 students - 4.4 mi. away - view location
View all schools in: Columbus, Muscogee County, Zip 31906 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects 2006 statistics (most recent year available).

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