Campus Partners Contributes to Indianola Middle School Renovations

Campus Partners has contributed $150,000 towards the renovation of the historic Indianola Middle School as part of a larger plan led by Metro Schools, Batelle, and the Ohio State University to convert to the location into the new home for Metro Early College Middle and High Schools. The new schools will focus on a STEM based curriculum, following the model of other Metro Schools. The entire project has an estimated cost of $30 million. 

Metro Schools was created in 2006 through a partnership between the Ohio State University and Battelle as just Metro Early College High School to increase accessibility to STEM curriculum for Central Columbus residents. In 2013, a middle school was opened in addition to their high school program. The Indianola Middle School project was introduced as part of an expansion project for Metro Schools, allowing them to increase their student capacity. One the new Indianola Middle School opens, Metro Schools will open their first elementary school in its old location.

The original Indianola Middle School opened in 1929 in its 420 E 19th Ave location. Its building was designed by the Ohio State University architect Howard Dwight Smith, known also for designing the Ohio Stadium. In the 1980s, it was added to the Columbus historic registry and has sat vacant since 2010. The Ohio State University bought the property in 2017 and will lease it to Metro Schools in a 30-year lease to accommodate their expanding curricula.

The Indianola Middle School project will include a complete renovation of the interior space, adding new labs and green spaces for student use, while leaving the historic 1929 façade intact. Once open, the school will be able to hold at least 1,200 students, 500 of those seats will be reserved for school aged residents of the University District.

Campus Partners contributed to the project in support the renovation of a historic building in the University District alongside its mission to improve the well-being of the University District residents. This contribution is in part of a larger effort to revitalize the University District neighborhoods.