Education in Delaware County runs from pre-school through graduate school. Four public school districts -- Delaware City, Olentangy, Big Walnut and Buckeye Valley - serve the county. All participate with Delaware JVS, the Area Career Center. St. Mary's Catholic School serves youngsters from kindergarten through eighth grade, providing a sound education and daily instruction in the Catholic faith. Delaware Christian School serves students of all grades with a carefully planned curriculum and Christ-centered textbooks. In addition, the county offers a special school (Hickory Knoll) and a workshop (Alpha Industries) for persons with retardation and developmental disabilities. Ohio Wesleyan University, in downtown Delaware, and the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, just south of the city, complete the education picture.

The Delaware City School District is a quality-focused educational system with a comprehensive curriculum designed to meet the learning needs of all students. Five elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school serve over 4,300 students yearly. Extensive expansion and renovation of the high school was completed in January, l998. Renovation of Willis Intermediate school, serving grades 5 and 6, was completed in September, l997. The new John C. Dempsey middle school opened in August 2000 to house grades 7-8.

The district technology center provides students and staff the opportunity to explore, understand, and use the technology that has become an integral part of our world. A K-12 gifted and talented program serves students with outstanding abilities. Educational options include post-secondary and concurrent college enrollment, advanced placement classes, ROTC, and a strong vocational/technical program. The district's School Age Child Care program (SACC) serves working parents with child care before and after school at the elementary and middle schools. Speech and language therapy and extensive psychological services are provided in all grades. KIDS FIRST! serves preschool children in a program that integrates children with special needs with their typically developing peers.

Approximately 60 percent of graduates go on to two or four year colleges and universities. Both SAT and ACT scores of college bound students are above state and national averages.

Community/school collaborative teams are working to bring about quality improvements to meet identified needs in each building. Growing partnerships exist among Delaware City Schools, Ohio Wesleyan University and business and community members, enhancing education opportunities for Delaware's young people.

Olentangy is one of only 38 school districts of 611 districts in the state that have all their K-12 buildings accredited by North Central Association. The 110 square mile school district, located in southern Delaware County, draws students from rural, smal town, and suburban neighborhoods. In response to dynamic growth, a sixth elementary school and second middle school opened for the 2001-2002 school year. The district enrolled 2,140 students n 1990-1991, opened the 1995 school year with enrollment over 3,400, and now has over 6,656 students enrolled.

Mean SAT and ACT composite scores for Olentangy are typically over the national and state averages. Over 90 percent of Olentangy graduates pursue post-secondary education in two- or four-year colleges. The district benefits from strong parent and booster organizations at all levels and from its many school-business partnerships.

The Big Walnut district covers an area of about 105 square miles in eastern Delaware County. Currently three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school serve approximately 2,700 students. After years of relative stability, Big Walnut Local is bracing itself for an enrollment surge similar to what many other suburban districts have experienced in the past decade. The district is in the early planning stages of renovating the current middle school and building a fourth elementary school. The proposed renovation and opening of the elementary is expected to be August 2004.

Big Walnut Elementary was awarded a $60,000 grant by the Ohio Reads Program. The Ohio Reads Program awards grants to schools to start volunteer tutoring programs and purchase reading and writing instructional materials. High school students, especially those completing the college preparatory curriculum, traditionally surpass state and national averages for both SAT and ACT tests.

The Buckeye Valley Local District covers 200 square miles in northwestern, western, and northern Delaware County. The curriculum is designed and the instructional program structured to meet the needs of all students. Special programs are available for exceptional children as well as students needing individualized supportive assistance. Enrichment programs are offered through educational options and AP classes.

The district includes three K-5 elementary schools, a 6-8 middle school and a comprehensive 9-12 high school facility, which meets North Central accreditation. Approximately 60 percent of Buckeye Valley graduates pursue a post-high school education, in two- or four-year colleges, technical schools or military.

The mission of Delaware JVS is to prepare youth and adults to enter, compete and advance in an ever-changing workforce that demands a commitment to lifelong learning. The Career Center provides vocational/technical training and academic classes to over 550 high school students from these districts: Big Walnut, Buckeye Valley, Delaware City, Olentangy, including open enrollment to Westerville and Worthington City Schools.

High school juniors and seniors can earn up to fourteen credits toward their high school diploma. This includes six elective credits in one of twenty-three different career majors. The Career Center's curriculum provides an excellent transition for students who progress from school to full-time employment. Students can obtain marketable skills which prepare them to enter the workplace in a skilled position as early as the second semester of their senior year.

Students' studies may also prepare them for post-secondary education at a technical/community college. Three area colleges offer free college credits in selected courses to qualified students under an Advanced Placement Program. University-bound students usually attend half-day for their three hour lab experience and take academics at their home school.

The Career Center also serves approximately 2,000 adults each year with a variety of programs which include: Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE), GED Testing Program, computer/technical classes, and customized training. The Center's South Campus is the location of the JVS Community Career Resource Center and the Delaware Campus of The Ohio State University at Marion.

Since l885, St. Mary School has provided a strong educational foundation in the Catholic tradition to students in the Delaware area community. Students Pre-School through eighth grade enjoy a rich curriculum centered around the Good News of the Gospel and a deep sense of community involvement.

Currently 70 pre-schoolers and 300 elementary students enjoy the daily curriculum supported by classroom teachers, a strong media center, a computer lab, a physical education teacher, a music teacher, a speech and hearing therapist, and learning disabilities teachers. A nurse and school psychologist also work with the students.

Many enrichment opportunities are offered including instrumental band, French classes, Science Fair, Geography Fair, Spelling Bee, mythology study and exam, and musicals and plays. The school year 2000-2001 began a new student appearance with the adoption of a school uniform policy.

St. Mary school is fully chartered by the State of Ohio and follows the courses of study approved for the Columbus Diocesan Schools. St. Mary has limited openings, but welcomes all students who desire an education in a Catholic school environment. Transportation to and from school is available through the local public school districts.

Delaware Christian School was founded in l973 with a kindergarten class and has grown to 320 students in a complete K-12 program. The school is state chartered under the Ohio State Board of Education for grades K-12 and is a member of the Association of Christian School International. Extra-curricular activities for 7-12 grades include band, volleyball, basketball, fast-pitch softball, soccer, baseball, drama, yearbook, and chorus. Seventy-five percent of high school graduates attend four year colleges or universities. Standardized tests administered in elementary school indicate that our classes are 1.7 years ahead of the national median and that the average student is in the 79th percentile. Our most recent graduating class had a composite ACT score of 24 compared with the Ohio average of 21.3.

Early intervention services are provided to children birth through two years of age who are "at risk" or show a delay in one or more areas of development. Areas of concentration include fine motor , gross motor, socialization, self-help cognition and communication.

Preschool services are provided to children three through five years of age. Areas of concentration include gross motor, fine motor, socialization, self-help, cognition and communication. Typically developing peers are in the classes for social and role modeling experiences.

The Rainbow Program provides pre-kindergarten educational services to small groups of children with delays primarily in the areas of language and cognition. Opportunities for involvement in larger day care classes are available.

The school age program serves students six through twenty-one years of age. Students learn skills to enable them to cope with the demands of their environment and care for themselves. In addition to classroom experiences, students receive therapeutic services when appropriate. All of the students are served in the public schools at an elementary or high school level. Inclusion with staff or peer supports allow the students to participate with their peers in the regular education curriculum.

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