College Hill, the only Cincinnati neighborhood with a CPS school magnet elementary school, a CPS neighborhood elementary school, and a CPS high school, will also be home to a charter elementary school this fall.

Hillcrest Science Academy will open in the old St. Clare School building at 1443 Salvia Ave. The school will be operated by Leona Group LLC, the country's largest charter school company.

Charter schools are privately operated but paid for by state money. Students
do not need vouchers to attend.

The Leona Group was founded in 1996 and operates 47 schools. Its schools do not share a central educational philosophy or focus, but instead are developed for each location and population. The College Hill school's focus will be on "S.T.E.M." -- science, technology, engineering, and math.

Hillcrest Science Academy will open with grades K-4 and add upper grades as
students progress. It will be open to all families in the city. The company
is preparing a web site with more information and application materials.
Until it is up, interested families can call 541-4767 for information, and attend an informational session at the school on one of the following dates:

1. Saturday July 23, 1-2:30 pm
2. Thursday July 28, 1-2:30 pm
3. Thursday Aug. 9, 6:30-8 pm
4. Saturday Aug. 11, 1-2:30 pm
5. Thursday Aug. 16, 7-8:30 pm

Cincinnati Union Bethel, the oldest social service agency west of the Alleghenies, recently opened a second early childhood program here.

The CUB Early Learning Academy houses all-day classes in the old St. Richard's school building on North Bend Road, next to The Encampment. It's an extension of CUB's half-day Head Start program, located at The Encampment.

Head Start is a federal program designed to help children from disadvantaged
homes be ready for school.

The program at The Encampment is for families in the College Hill area. Children from
6 weeks to 5 years old are eligible for the 3-hour sessions. County vouchers pay the tuition, although families that do not meet the income criteria can pay a fee to attend.

The new program is open to families throughout the county, and accepts children from toddlers to age 5. Bus service and meals are included. Like the older program, it is paid for with county vouchers. For enrollment information and application materials, call 591-3100.

College Hill families have many school choices in the neighborhood. For those new to the area or new to school, the choices can seem daunting. Here's a handy guide.

Preschool and Kindergarten:

3Cs, a Christian preschool located at College Hill Presbyterian Church, has
operated a popular co-op preschool program for decades. Several years ago it
added a kindergarten. For information, call CHPC 541-5676.

Cincinnati Union Bethel operates two preschool programs in College Hill: a
half-day program for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years at The Encampment
Church, and now a full-day program for children ages 18 months to 5 years at
the old St. Richard's school building on North Bend Road. Both are largely
paid for by county vouchers. For information on applying, call 591-3100 or
click here.





Kindergarten and Elementary:

Pleasant Hill Academy, next to the library on North Bend Road, is College
Hill's neighborhood elementary school. This K-8 school offers a college prep
track and moved to a brand new building last year. For information call
363-4300 or click here.

College Hill Fundamental Academy, located in the old College Hill School
building, is a CPS magnet school. Its program is based on
academics and self-discipline. For information call 363-1600 or click here.

Eden Grove Academy: Located off North Bend Road on Collegevue Place, next to
the WAKW radio station, this private Christian school operated by Pillar of
Fire offers grades K-8 and accepts state tuition vouchers. For information
call 542-0643 or click here.

Hillcrest Science Academy: Located in the old St. Clare School building on
Salvia Ave., this citywide charter school will open in the fall. There is no
fee to attend. For information call 1-800-656-6763.

St. Bartholomew Consolidated School: Located in Finneytown, this K-8 school
is the parish school for St. Clare Church and several other parishes.
Attendance is open to nonparishioners for an additional fee. For information
call 522-0860 or click here.


High School:

Aiken University High School is one of two CPS high schools that share a Belmont Ave. campus, next to the College Hill Rec Center. For information call 363-6800 or click here.

Aiken College and Career High School is one of two CPS high schools that share a Belmont Ave. campus, next to the College Hill Rec Center. For information call 363-6760 or click here.

McAuley High School: Located on Oakwood, this private Catholic girls' high school is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and recently added a
pre-med program. For information call 681-1800 or click here.


Other nearby schools popular with College Hill residents include St. Vivian
(Finneytown), Central Baptist (Finneytown), and Little Flower (Mt. Airy) private elementary schools; the private Cincinnati Waldorf School (Spring Grove Village), CPS preschool and magnet elementary Winton Montessori (Spring Grove Village), La Salle High School for boys (Mt. Airy) and St. Xavier High School for boys (Finneytown).

Homeschooling:

There are two options for homeschooling familes: choosing and implementing your own curriculum, or using a provided curriculum from one of Ohio's two online charter schools.

For families interested in complete control and management of their homeschool, several organizations and support groups are active in the Cincinnati area. Christian Home Educators of Cincinnati (CHEC) has a College Hill group that meets regularly for support and activities. For information, click here. For a list of other regional homeschooling groups, including groups for African-American, Catholic, Military, and Unitarian families, see the Home School Network of Greater Cincinnati's website here.

Families interested in homeschooling but looking for more outside direction and oversight can join the Ohio Virtual Academy or the Ohio Distance and Electronic Learning Academy. Both are tuition-free, home-directed public schools that provide complete curriculums (accessed by computer), teacher assistance, specialty courses, and organized activities for families. Find out about the Ohio Virtual Academy here and OHDELA here.