KIPP Columbus Admissions

The application window for the 2026-2027 school year opens on October 20, 2025. Families must submit a KIPP application online. If a parent needs support completing an application, please email admissions@kippcolumbus.org and a member of Student Recruitment and Enrollment team will be able to help them complete the application. Instructions to complete the lottery application can be found here:

• SchoolMint Registration Instructions for Families
  Families submit their lottery application using this link: https://kippcolumbus.schoolmint.net/
• First Time Applicants: You will need to create an account. This allows you to change information and check on the status of your child’s application.
• Returning Applicants: You will log in using your previously created account.

No, the current waitlist will not roll over to the new academic year. Your application for the 2025-2026 school year will stay active, and you will continue to be on the waitlist for this year. If you would like your student to participate in the 2026-2027 lottery, you must complete a new application.

You will receive a call, email, and text message notifying you that your student was accepted after the close of the lottery, starting on February 23, 2026. You can also login to your SchoolMint account to check the status of your student’s application.

After you receive notification that your student was accepted, you will need to complete the online registration and submit all required documents within ten days.

You will receive a Welcome email with additional details and information for the Welcome to KIPP Columbus event that will take place in the Spring of 2026. KIPP Columbus welcomes new families to attend the Welcome to KIPP Columbus event where you’ll connect with school leaders and staff, learn what makes our community unique, and gain confidence in the high-quality education your child will receive.

Due to a recent change in Ohio law (House Bill 114), all school districts must follow a uniform age cutoff for kindergarten enrollment. To be eligible for kindergarten at KIPP Columbus for the 2026–2027 school year, your child must be 5 years old on or before August 14, 2026 (the first day of school). This replaces the previous September 30 cutoff date.

Students enrolling in 1st grade must have successfully completed kindergarten. If a child has not attended kindergarten, they must be 6 years old to be considered for 1st grade placement, in alignment with Ohio state requirements.

To enroll your child, please complete an online application through our enrollment system at https://kippcolumbus.schoolmint.net/. Our team will follow up with next steps after submission.

Submit an Application

Yes. Ohio law requires children to attend kindergarten. Students cannot be admitted to 1st grade without completing kindergarten unless they have been formally approved for early entrance into 1st grade.

Preparing your child for kindergarten can be both fun and impactful. We encourage families to practice the following skills at home: counting objects up to 100, recognizing numbers in everyday life, saying their full name and writing their first name, identifying objects by attributes (color, shape), listening to and retelling simple stories, completing puzzles, practicing self-help skills (tying shoes, buttoning, zipping), learning the alphabet, and playing rhyming games. Additional resources are available through the Ohio Department of Education at https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Early-Learning/Kindergarten.

If you believe your child is ready for early entrance to kindergarten, please email admissions@kippcolumbus.org with your child’s full name and a request for the early entrance application. Once submitted, you will receive the early entrance application and your child will be scheduled for an in-person readiness assessment at one of our primary schools.

Email Us

We are a free, K-12 public school on the northeast side of Columbus, KIPP stands for the Knowledge and Power Program is part of a national network of free, open enrollment, public schools dedicated to empowering students with the knowledge, character, and skills necessary for college and choice-filled lives.

Approximately 28-30 students per classroom across campus(with a ratio of 1 Teacher/Teaching fellow:17 kids at our Primary)

Arrival: 8:00a-8:20a (doors open at 8:00a), School Day: 8:20-3:30p (M-T), 8:20a -1:00p (F), Dismissal: 3:30pm(M-T), 1:00 pm (F)

Yes, we do have a special education program at our school!

We do have free transportation and bussing to families.

We have a positive, joyful learning environment. We also have strong partnerships with families and our community!

Yes, we currently have a growing athletics program. We have 10 varsity sports, and are continuing to expand our athletics and extracurricular programs!

We currently partner with the Boys & Girls Club, YWCA, and the Young Engineers Society (YES) program to provide after-school options for students. Program offerings may be adjusted based on student interest, program needs, and overall enrollment.

Yes, we are a uniform school! You may obtain KIPP uniform tops from School Days/School Closet!

No, we are a free, public charter school for grades K-12!

We have many different summer programs and summer camps over the summer!