Columbia Public Schools Archives

Nothing found after ‘prank’ threat at Battle High School

November 22, 2022 11:11 AM Matthew Sanders

No actual threat was found Tuesday after someone called in a threat against Battle High School that school officials said was a prank.

CPS superintendent says Hickman student who was source of threat has been identified

November 17, 2022 12:35 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The head of Columbia Public Schools said Thursday that a Hickman High School student has been detained for a threat scrawled on a bathroom stall. The threat of a Thursday shooting at Hickman High School, which was discovered Wednesday and which CPS officials and police said was not credible, was circulated on

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Are you worried about safety in local schools?

October 31, 2022 2:47 AM ABC 17 News Team

Mid-Missouri schools last week saw a string of police incidents and threats of violence.

Rock Bridge Principal explains large law enforcement presence at school Tuesday in email to parents

October 26, 2022 4:36 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUBMIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Rock Bridge High School Principal Jacob Sirna sent an email to families Tuesday night to clarify why there was a large law enforcement presence at the school earlier that day. Sirna said there was no threat to students, but contacted law enforcement as part of their protocols. The school was never on lockdown,

Parent asks for more transparency after law enforcement sent to Rock Bridge High School for possibly armed student

October 25, 2022 2:16 PM Matthew Sanders

Columbia police were called to help investigate a “specific reported incident” Tuesday at Rock Bridge High School, a Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman said.

Gas odor prompts Columbia elementary school evacuation

October 25, 2022 9:33 AM Matthew Sanders

A north Columbia elementary school was evacuated Tuesday morning because of a gas smell.

Columbia Board of Education members get update on new high school grading system

October 20, 2022 12:00 PM Ethan Heinz

Standards-Referenced Grading has been used for years at the elementary and middle school level throughout Columbia.

Columbia Board of Education holds first meeting with new public comment policy

October 10, 2022 3:26 PM Leila Mitchell

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education will hold its biweekly meeting with its new public comment policy Monday night. The meeting is 6:30 p.m. at the Neil C. Aslin District Administration Building. The district said these changes are reflective of new laws passed by the state legislature last session. The district also wants its public

CPS hosts first in-person World Cafe meeting since 2020

October 6, 2022 6:49 PM Marina Diaz

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools hosted its first in-person World-Cafe meeting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday night at Stoney Creek Inn. CPS World Cafe – The Future of CPS: Growth, Innovation & Achievement discussion focused on how it can help it’s scholars first, and how it can measure success. Superintendent Brian

Columbia’s superintendent to discuss reaching student success at board of education meeting

September 28, 2022 4:41 PM Kennedy Miller

COLUMBIA. Mo. (KMIZ.) The Columbia Board of Education will host a meeting Wednesday where Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood plans to address growth and achievement at the school district. Some of the items to be addressed in the PowerPoint are student attendance, achievements and teacher retention. Data from the presentation shows teacher retention sits at 87%

Records show bullying is most commonly reported concern to hotline so far this school year

September 14, 2022 8:35 PM Marina Diaz

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Bullying continues to be the number one issue reported to Missouri’s anonymous school safety hotline, Courage2Report. Last month, there were 10 reports of bullying – repeat harassment made to Courage2Report. There were five school shooting threats, and four threats to kill. Over the past three years, bullying – repeated harassment, has been

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you have an opinion on the Columbia school board’s new public comment policy?

September 14, 2022 2:48 AM ABC 17 News Team

The Columbia Board of Education approved a new public comment policy Monday night in a split vote.

Columbia Public Schools using charter buses for after-school activities amid bus driver shortage

September 13, 2022 8:37 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A bus driver shortage is affecting after-school activities in Columbia. Three weeks into the school year, Columbia Public Schools says it is able to cover its 120 daily bus routes, but the district has had to bring on extra help to get kids to after-school activities. Student Transportation of America is lacking

Columbia Board of Education approves updated public speaking policy

September 12, 2022 4:27 PM Leila Mitchell

The Columbia Board of Education has its first meeting of the school year Monday night and the agenda includes topics such as changes to the board’s public speaking policy, security upgrades and COVID-19 plans.

Columbia middle school to hold back-to-school event Wednesday

August 31, 2022 5:27 AM Ben Fein

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Staff at a Columbia middle school plan to hold a back-to-school event Wednesday. The “Back to School Bash” is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. at John Warner Middle School. Organizers want the event to welcome the community back to school. The Back to School Bash will allow parents to meet their

Two Columbia middle school students assaulted on bus; suspect detained

August 30, 2022 1:43 PM Matthew Sanders

Two Columbia Public Schools middle school students were assaulted Tuesday morning on their bus, a district spokeswoman said.

Hundreds of students get free books from Read Across Columbia

August 30, 2022 5:23 PM Chris Bryant

More than 600 kids at Columbia Public Schools got new books Tuesday at Blue Ridge Elementary School as part of the Read Across Columbia program.

New Missouri law bans ‘sexually explicit’ books from schools

August 29, 2022 6:48 PM Hannah Falcon

Students may see fewer book options when returning to class this week, but only if those books contained sexually explicit images.

Bus with students onboard, car crash in Columbia

August 25, 2022 4:37 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A bus and car crashed on Business Loop 70 in Columbia on Thursday afternoon. Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said no one on the Hickman High School bus was hurt in the crash on Business Loop 70 East and Seventh St. The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. near the school’s

Record number of students enrolled at Columbia Public Schools

August 23, 2022 5:41 PM Matthew Sanders

A record number of students were enrolled on the first day of the year at Columbia Public Schools.