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Below the overview of the district are links to KBIA's coverage of Columbia 93 district schools, updated as more stories are published. Columbia 93 at a glanceThe Columbia 93 school district currently includes 32 different schools. In 2014, the district had a k-12 enrollment of 17,204 students, which is 2% of the total k-12 enrollment for the state. Enrollment has been slightly increasing in recent years, 2% since 2011. While a small percent, that amounts to almost 400 more students. There have also been major re-drawing of attendance areas with the addition of Battle High School. Middle school attendance areas shape high school boundaries 00000178-cc7d-da8b-a77d-ec7d2f9e0000The changes have affected all schools in the district, including causing high school attendance to increase and overcrowding at one middle school at least.

Heat continues to force Columbia schools to release early

Wednesday will be the eighth time -- since the school year began less than a month ago -- that some students at Columbia public schools are dismissed early because of the heat.

Jefferson and West Junior High schools don’t have air conditioning. Five Columbia elementary schools had units installed during the summer. But, Michelle Baumstark, spokesperson for Columbia Public Schools, says it may take more than a year to complete the remaining two schools.

“These are our two largest projects -- the most complicated projects that we have as far as HVAC and air conditioning is concerned," she says. "So it’s taken us a little bit longer to do it but we want to make sure we do it right.”

Jefferson Junior High is 102 years old and three stories tall, which makes installing an air conditioning system difficult.  Installation is hoped to be completed by the year 2014. The school district hopes to have air conditioning in West Junior High by next summer. Request for bids on both schools are planned for October.