Columbus AFB is included in the Columbus Municipal School District (CMSC) and the Caledonia School which is part of the Lowndes County School District. Student enrollment in grades K-12 is about 5,000 students.
There are no schools located on Columbus AFB. All school age children living on base and attending the public school system are bused either to Columbus Municipal Schools or Caledonia School.
Children in grades K-4 have a choice of seven different city schools and enter into the school lottery system through the Parent Choice Plan to determine placement into one of seven city elementary schools. To enter into the lottery system parents must register with the Columbus Municipal School District Office upon arrival.
Children who are 5 years old on or before September 1 are accepted into kindergarten.
The School year is historically from the first week of August through late May. Registration is held each August for the following fall term of school. To register, you'll need your child's certified birth certificate and social security card, two proofs of residency, and a Mississippi Certificate of Immunization Compliance. If your child is transferring in, bring the transfer or report card from the previous school and the name and address of the school. Questions should be addressed to the Columbus Municipal School District Office at 662-241-7400 or Lowndes County School District at 662-244-5000. Students to be enrolled in kindergarten must be five years of age on or before 1 September. Students wishing to enter the first grade must be six years of age on or before 1 September.
The Columbus School liaison conducts registration for children who are home schooled. Contact the SLO @ 434.2792 for an appointment. Mississippi state law requires registration be completed each school year, prior to 15 September. Registration Requirements: For BOTH districts, the following documents are required: 1. Birth certificate 2. Social Security Number 3. Mississippi Immunization Form 121 4. Records from previous school (if applicable) 5. Two forms of Residency Verification
A full range of adult education programs for active duty personnel, family members, and members of the community is offered through the base Education Center. Programs include, but are not limited to Graduate Equivalent Diploma (GED), adult high school completion programs, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), vocational and technical classes, and college classes offered by various institutions. English as a second language, and citizenship classes are available. For high school completion a diagnostic test is used to determine the student's needed starting point. High school classes may be individual or a group setting and open-ended allowing a student to begin and exit at any time.
