50 Influential School Leaders in Columbus Ohio (2026)

Last updated: June 2026

Columbus, Ohio, is home to some of the most dynamic educational leadership in the Midwest. With the state's largest public school district, a rapidly growing charter sector, a network of 50 Catholic schools, and several prominent independent schools, the greater Columbus area is a case study in what educational leadership looks like across every context and scale.

As of June 2026, the people running those schools face a range of challenges that put their leadership to the test daily. Columbus City Schools is managing a $50 million budget reduction while its superintendent advocates publicly for fairer state funding formulas. Olentangy Local School District passed a no-new-millage bond in late 2025 to build its 18th elementary school and fifth high school, a response to enrolment projected to surpass 28,000 students within a decade. Dublin City Schools paused a high school redistricting process after community pushback, demonstrating the tension between growth management and community trust. KIPP Columbus opened its fourth building in 2024 and now educates nearly 2,500 students on a 150-plus acre campus. Cristo Rey Columbus announced a new middle school for 2026-27, its first campus expansion since opening. These are not abstract challenges. They are the day-to-day reality of the leaders on this list.

I compiled this directory to surface the people doing that work across the full spectrum of Columbus schools: public district, charter, Catholic, and independent. Each person holds a confirmed, active operating role as a superintendent, principal, head of school, or system leader. Each was selected based on documented contribution to their school or district during roughly the past two to three years. Every role and organisation name was verified from a primary source dated within the last 12 months.

For school leadership teams wanting to build culture and lead with greater clarity, Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, author of Step Up or Step Out (10,000+ copies sold), and host of The Leadership Conversations Podcast (230+ episodes, listeners in 150+ countries). Book Jonno White to deliver a Working Genius workshop, DISC session, or executive team offsite for your district leadership team, principal cohort, or school faculty. Email jonno@consultclarity.org. International travel is often far more affordable than clients expect.

Why School Leadership Matters in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio, is one of the fastest-growing major cities in the United States. The Franklin County region added more residents between 2010 and 2020 than any other Ohio county, and that growth shows no sign of slowing. Fast growth creates a particular kind of pressure on school leaders: building new facilities, managing shifting attendance zones, recruiting and retaining teachers in a tight labour market, and delivering strong academic outcomes at the same time.

The challenge is not uniform. Columbus City Schools, serving more than 46,000 students across a densely urban district, faces funding pressure and facility challenges that suburban districts do not. Suburban districts like Olentangy, Dublin, and Hilliard are managing growth so rapid that redistricting decisions affect thousands of families at once. Smaller districts like Groveport-Madison and Canal Winchester are doing more with less, building master facility plans and expanding programmes on tighter budgets. Charter networks are proving what is possible in public education. Catholic and independent schools are expanding enrolment and opening new campuses.

The leaders on this list carry the weight of those challenges daily. They are doing it in one of the most educationally diverse metro areas in the country.

How This List Was Compiled

Each leader on this list was selected based on a documented, fact-checked contribution to their school or district, from sustained academic improvement and enrolment growth to major facility projects, community partnerships, curriculum innovation, or system-level leadership. For district superintendents, selection was based on confirmed tenure, documented district outcomes during that tenure, and active leadership through the 2025-26 school year. For building-level principals and school heads, selection was based on external recognition, publicly documented school achievement, or a confirmed ongoing role at a school with independently verified results. Every role, every organisation name, and every claim in this post was confirmed from a primary source dated within the last 12 months.

Columbus City Schools

Columbus City Schools is Ohio's largest school district, serving more than 46,000 students across more than 100 buildings. Superintendent Angela Chapman is navigating a budget reduction of $50 million while advocating at the state level for more equitable funding, and the Board of Education extended her contract through 2029. At the building level, Columbus City Schools produces a number of nationally and state-recognised principals.

1. Dr. Angela Chapman

Dr. Angela Chapman is Superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools, a role she has held since 2023. Leading Ohio's largest school district at one of its most financially challenging moments is a measure of leadership capacity. In late 2025, Chapman directed the implementation of a $50 million budget reduction including the closure of four buildings, the elimination of more than 60 administrative positions, and the reduction of busing for K-8 students attending schools outside their attendance zones. Chapman also negotiated a new three-year union contract with the Columbus Education Association that included salary increases and improved working conditions, and the Board of Education extended her contract in March 2026 through July 2029.

Chapman has consistently advocated publicly for greater state funding equity, testifying at the Ohio Statehouse alongside the district's treasurer. Previously, Chapman served as the district's Chief of Transformation and Leadership. Her contract extension reflects the Board's confidence in her direction despite the financial headwinds the district faces.

2. Dr. Darryl Sanders

Dr. Darryl Sanders is Principal of Columbus Alternative High School (CAHS), consistently one of the highest-ranked public high schools in Ohio. In the 2024 US News and World Report rankings, CAHS placed 16th in the state of Ohio with an overall score of 97.11 out of 100, and Sanders noted publicly that the school has maintained US News recognition for more than a decade. As a selective high school within Columbus City Schools, CAHS serves students who choose an alternative academic environment.

The school's consistent performance in national rankings while operating within one of the country's larger urban public districts reflects sustained instructional leadership at the building level. Sanders describes being proud as the school leader of an institution that continues to earn recognition year after year alongside a talented faculty and student body.

3. Rodney Johnson

Rodney Johnson is Principal of Cedarwood Elementary School in Columbus City Schools. In 2025, Cedarwood Elementary was named a Hall of Fame School by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA), one of only a handful of schools in Ohio to receive the designation that year. The OAESA Hall of Fame recognition is awarded to schools that go above and beyond in meeting student needs through exemplary programming and instruction.

Johnson has led Cedarwood in building the kind of consistent school culture and instructional quality that peer principals and OAESA evaluators identified as model practice. The recognition reflects the cumulative work of a school community that has invested in the systems and relationships that produce consistently strong student outcomes within a large urban district.

4. Dr. Sherri C. Williams

Dr. Sherri C. Williams is Director and Principal of Columbus Africentric Early College, a PreK-12 school within Columbus City Schools nationally recognised for its Africentric curriculum model and consistent performance in athletics and academics. Columbus Africentric Early College is one of the most distinctive schools in Ohio public education, integrating African and African-American history, culture, and values across its curriculum from the earliest grades.

Under Williams, the school serves students from PreK through Grade 12 on a single campus, offering an early college component that allows high school students to earn college credit. The school's girls basketball programme has been a perennial state championship contender, reflecting the culture of excellence built across multiple domains of school life.

5. Diane Agnes

Diane Agnes is Principal of Woodward Park Middle School in Columbus City Schools. Agnes served as the Columbus Representative on the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA) Board of Directors, confirmed in the organisation's 2025-26 board listing. Serving in a peer-selected leadership role at a state-level professional organisation while running a Columbus City Schools middle school reflects the kind of practitioner credibility that requires more than tenure.

Woodward Park serves a diverse community in the northeast Columbus area. Agnes brings the perspectives of a large urban district to a statewide conversation about secondary school leadership, representing the interests and challenges of Columbus City Schools principals within a professional network that spans rural, suburban, and urban Ohio.

6. Dr. Andrew Smith

Dr. Andrew Smith is Principal of Valley Forge Elementary School in Columbus City Schools. Smith serves on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, confirmed in the organisation's November 2025 board listing, representing one of the state's largest urban school systems in a peer professional governance role.

Serving as a school leader while contributing to the governance of the state's leading elementary principal organisation places Smith in a distinct category of practitioner-advocates who are shaping educational practice beyond their own buildings. Valley Forge serves students in the southeast Columbus area within a district navigating significant budget constraints and ongoing facility challenges.

Upper Arlington and Dublin Schools

Upper Arlington and Dublin are two of the most academically high-performing public school districts in Ohio, consistently appearing at the top of state rankings. Their superintendents are managing the challenges of high expectations, sustained growth, and major facility investment simultaneously.

7. Dr. Robert Hunt

Dr. Robert Hunt is Superintendent of Upper Arlington City Schools, a role he took in July 2023. Before joining Upper Arlington, Hunt served as superintendent of Barrington 220 Community Unit School District northwest of Chicago, and before that led Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District for nine years, during which he was named Ohio Superintendent of the Year by the AASA in October 2020. Hunt holds a Ph.D. from Kent State University.

In Upper Arlington, Hunt has led phase two of the district's facilities master planning process, initiated a community scientific survey on future school needs, and overseen a district that produced 15 National Merit Semifinalists in the 2025-26 school year. The district has earned a clean audit opinion and the Auditor of State Award for financial accountability across recent years.

8. Andrew Theado

Andrew Theado is Principal of Upper Arlington High School, confirmed in the 2025-26 school profile and January 2026 board meeting documentation. Upper Arlington High School is ranked 22nd in Ohio and 609th nationally by US News and World Report, serving approximately 1,900 students. The school's motto is Serve, Lead, and Succeed.

As principal of one of Ohio's most academically demanding public high schools, Theado oversees a programme that regularly produces National Merit Scholars and places graduates at leading universities nationally. The school offers AP and IB programmes alongside a full range of extracurricular activities, requiring coordinated leadership across a large and diverse faculty.

9. Dr. John Marschhausen

Dr. John Marschhausen is Superintendent/CEO of Dublin City Schools, a role he has held since May 2021. Dublin City Schools serves approximately 16,400 students across 30 schools and is one of the top-rated districts in Ohio. Under Marschhausen, Dublin has undertaken major redistricting efforts to manage sustained enrolment growth, constructed a new elementary school, and navigated a high school redistricting process that drew significant community engagement in 2025-26.

Marschhausen serves on the Governor's Executive Workforce Board, advising on the development of Ohio's workforce system. When the high school redistricting process drew pushback in late 2025, he paused the process explicitly, telling families the district needed more time, more criteria clarity, and more community input before proceeding. That kind of public transparency about process is a distinct leadership practice. Marschhausen holds a Ph.D. in Leadership from Capella University.

10. Matthew Parrill

Matthew Parrill is Principal of Dublin Coffman High School, confirmed in publicly available records with a 2024-25 enrolment of 1,824 students. Dublin Coffman is one of three high schools in the Dublin City School District and consistently among the highest-performing comprehensive high schools in central Ohio.

Leading a school of nearly 1,900 students in a district actively managing redistricting and rapid growth requires both academic leadership and community communication skills. Dublin Coffman's consistent academic performance and strong extracurricular culture reflect what sustained building-level leadership produces over time.

Worthington and Hilliard Schools

11. Trent Bowers

Trent Bowers has served as Superintendent of Worthington Schools since 2014, making him one of the longest-tenured district leaders in the Columbus area. A graduate of Worthington Schools, Bowers has grown the district by 1,700 students during his tenure, passed multiple operating and capital levies, and launched a $320 million Master Facility Plan to rebuild and modernise the district's school buildings.

In 2025-26, construction at both Thomas Worthington and Kilbourne high schools is on time and on budget. Bowers extended the timeline for the next operating levy from 2026 to 2028 based on available resources, demonstrating fiscal discipline and community trust-building. The leadership philosophy he is known for, Be Kind to Kids, shapes a district culture that parents, staff, and students consistently describe as genuine.

12. Josh Almanson

Josh Almanson is Principal of Thomas Worthington High School, confirmed in the school's Wikipedia listing for 2025-26 with an enrolment of 1,738 students. Thomas Worthington is one of two comprehensive high schools in Worthington Schools and is mid-renovation, with a major construction project delivering new student commons, media centre, counselling spaces, and arts facilities through 2025-26.

Leading a large high school through an active multi-year construction project while maintaining academic quality and community confidence is among the more operationally demanding roles in suburban education. The school's continued strong academic performance during a period of significant physical disruption reflects the stability of its leadership culture.

13. David Stewart

David Stewart is Superintendent of Hilliard City Schools, a position he has held since August 2021. Hilliard City Schools serves approximately 16,000 students and is one of the larger suburban districts in the Columbus metro, competing in the Ohio Capital Conference. Stewart's career began as a public school teacher, and he has spent more than 30 years in education.

Hilliard has consistently maintained strong student outcomes and earned external recognition for its schools. Stewart believes providing high-quality education empowers students and transforms communities, and that philosophy has shaped his approach to a district that spans three comprehensive high schools, multiple middle schools, and a broad elementary network across the Hilliard area.

14. Katie Salyer

Katie Salyer is Principal of Hoffman Trails Elementary in Hilliard City Schools. In 2025, Hoffman Trails was named an OAESA Hall of Fame School, one of only a handful of schools across Ohio to receive the designation that year. The OAESA Hall of Fame recognises elementary and middle schools that demonstrate exemplary programming, strong instruction, and a positive, student-centred learning environment.

The recognition reflects the culture Salyer has built at Hoffman Trails and the consistent work of the school's teachers and support staff within one of suburban Columbus's larger districts. Hall of Fame schools are identified through a rigorous peer review and visitation process, making the designation a meaningful external validation of building-level leadership quality.

Olentangy and Westerville Schools

15. Todd Meyer

Todd Meyer is Superintendent of Olentangy Local School District, the fourth-largest district in Ohio with enrolment exceeding 24,000 students as of 2025-26. Olentangy is among the fastest-growing school districts in Ohio: enrolment is projected to surpass 28,300 students by 2035-36, and in November 2025 the community passed a no-new-millage bond to build the district's 18th elementary school and fifth high school.

Meyer came to Olentangy in 2007 to open Olentangy Orange High School as its founding principal, previously serving at Westerville City Schools. His nearly two decades of experience within a rapidly growing district gives him an institutional depth of understanding that informed both the bond campaign strategy and the redistricting work the district has undertaken to manage capacity across its schools.

16. Ellie Ellis

Ellie Ellis is Principal of Olentangy Orange High School, confirmed in the school's current Wikipedia listing. Ellis moved into the principal role after previously serving as the school's assistant principal. Olentangy Orange serves approximately 1,970 students and is one of four high schools in the Olentangy Local School District.

Leading one of the fastest-growing high schools in Ohio requires managing rapid enrolment, a large and diverse staff, and the expectations that come with a high-performing community. Olentangy Orange has built a strong athletic and academic culture since opening in 2008, and Ellis inherits that culture at a moment of continued growth and change for the broader district.

17. Angela Hamberg

Angela Hamberg became Superintendent of Westerville City Schools on July 8, 2024. Hamberg brought more than 20 years of administrative leadership experience to the role, having previously served as Superintendent of Big Walnut Local Schools from 2015 to 2022 and as a High Quality Instructional Materials Specialist and Certified Executive Leadership Coach for the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio.

In October 2025, Hamberg made the public case for a ballot issue that would diversify Westerville's funding sources by taxing earned income rather than property alone, a strategy aimed at creating greater financial stability for a district of approximately 14,000 students. The willingness to propose a less conventional funding mechanism reflects an active approach to financial leadership rather than a reliance on the same ballot strategies that have characterised Ohio school district funding for decades.

18. Dawn Sayre

Dawn Sayre is Principal of Westerville Central High School, confirmed in school records for 2025-26 with a student enrolment of approximately 1,500. Westerville Central is one of two comprehensive high schools in Westerville City Schools and opened in August 2003. Sayre joined the school as principal in 2022.

Westerville Central competes in the Ohio Capital Conference and regularly places students in competitive academic and extracurricular programmes. The school serves students from across the Westerville community in a district undergoing active financial planning and levy strategy discussions under superintendent Angela Hamberg.

Reynoldsburg, Gahanna, and South Columbus

19. Dr. Tracy Reed

Dr. Tracy Reed is Superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools, confirmed in the 2025-26 student handbook. Reed's background reflects a sustained commitment to educational equity and inclusion. Prior to joining Reynoldsburg, Reed served as Chief Academic Officer for Sandusky City Schools and Fort Wayne Community Schools in Indiana, leading departments including special education, English learners, Title I, curriculum, and assessment.

Reed has written directly to Reynoldsburg's Class of 2026 students as part of the district's superintendent communication throughout the 2025-26 school year. Reynoldsburg City Schools serves a diverse community on the eastern edge of Columbus, and Reed's prior experience in urban and mid-size districts with complex demographic needs positions the work at Reynoldsburg within a broader equity-focused leadership trajectory.

20. Dr. Tracey Deagle

Dr. Tracey Deagle is Superintendent of Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. In January 2025 the district held a State of the Schools event to emphasise what makes Gahanna-Jefferson a high-achieving district, with Deagle delivering the keynote address and a moderated community Q and A. In June 2026, Deagle reflected publicly on the 2025-26 school year.

Gahanna-Jefferson places a strong emphasis on community engagement and a well-rounded education that extends beyond standardised testing metrics, a philosophy Deagle has championed through the district's Quality Profile approach. The district is a recognised high-achieving suburban district in the northeast Columbus corridor.

21. Jamie Grube

Jamie Grube is Superintendent of Groveport-Madison Local Schools, confirmed in the district's March 2026 State of the Schools Celebration, where Grube delivered the address and outlined key priorities for the community. Groveport-Madison serves approximately 6,200 students across 11 schools in the southeast corner of Franklin County.

Grube has focused on innovation and community partnership, inviting community members to interactive displays and demonstrations highlighting student work and staff programmes at the 2026 event. The State of the Schools approach reflects a commitment to transparency and engagement with a community that has invested in its schools through local levy support.

22. Randy Banks

Randy Banks became Superintendent of South-Western City Schools on August 1, 2024, bringing deep roots in a district where he previously served as a middle school principal. South-Western is the fifth-largest school district in Ohio and the second-largest in Franklin County, serving parts of Grove City and southwest Columbus across 16 elementary schools, five intermediate schools, five middle schools, four high schools, and a career-technical academy.

The board voted unanimously to hire Banks after a search process. Banks began his tenure with a focus on relationship-building across a large and diverse district that has historically served a working-class and middle-income southwest Columbus community. His prior experience in the district gives him contextual fluency that new superintendents typically have to spend years developing.

Canal Winchester and Eastern Columbus

23. Kiya Hunt

Kiya Hunt is Superintendent of Canal Winchester Local Schools, confirmed in a June 2025 district announcement introducing two new principals for the 2025-26 school year. Hunt became superintendent in August 2022 after serving as the district's assistant superintendent since 2014. Canal Winchester has grown steadily, opening a new addition to Indian Trail Elementary that provided all-day kindergarten for every student for the first time in 2024-25.

In 2024, Hunt launched a master facilities planning process in partnership with SHP to address long-term growth needs and a potential performing arts centre for the district. The $41,000 planning investment was described publicly as an investment in a thoughtful, strategic approach to meeting the district's long-term needs. Canal Winchester is a growing community southeast of Columbus that has seen consistent residential development.

24. Ada Nicholson-Burley

Ada Nicholson-Burley is Principal of Canal Winchester High School, confirmed in the June 2025 district announcement of new principals for the 2025-26 school year. Nicholson-Burley joined Canal Winchester Schools in 2022 and previously served as assistant principal, leading the high school's alternative, work-based learning, and credit recovery programmes before stepping into the principal role.

Superintendent Kiya Hunt noted that Nicholson-Burley brings a deep understanding of student needs and a strong commitment to creating a school environment where every child feels seen, supported, and challenged. Canal Winchester High School competes in the Ohio Capital Conference and serves a growing southeast Franklin County community.

25. Dr. Charles Smialek

Dr. Charles Smialek is Superintendent of Pickerington Local School District, having begun in August 2025. Pickerington serves approximately 11,700 students across 16 schools in Franklin and Fairfield counties, making it one of the larger suburban districts in the Columbus region and one that has seen significant residential growth in the eastern Columbus area.

Smialek takes the helm of a district that has recently added schools to manage growth and has a track record of strong academic performance on Ohio state assessments. Pickerington Local School District has been consistently rated excellent or above by Ohio's Department of Education and is a Niche highly rated district. The challenge for Smialek in the early part of this tenure is building trust and continuity in a district that went through a leadership transition in 2024-25.

26. Stacy Tennenbaum

Stacy Tennenbaum is Principal of Fairfield Elementary School in Pickerington Local Schools. Tennenbaum was named the 2025 OAESA Principal of the Year, the highest individual recognition for elementary and middle school principals in Ohio, after Fairfield Elementary was simultaneously named an OAESA Hall of Fame School. The OAESA awards were presented at a formal ceremony in Columbus in June 2025.

The peer visitation team that evaluated Fairfield noted that the school is centred on social-emotional learning and coordinated instructional systems, with tools like iReady and Acadience informing teaching decisions across the school. Tennenbaum's selection as Principal of the Year reflects peer recognition of sustained school leadership quality, not a single programme or initiative.

Whitehall, Bexley, and New Albany

27. Sharee Wells

Sharee Wells is Superintendent of Whitehall City Schools, confirmed as currently serving on the district's superintendent updates page for 2025-26. Wells joined Whitehall in 2021, bringing experience from prior roles as Assistant Superintendent at Hilliard City Schools and Executive Director of High Schools for Columbus City Schools. During Wells's tenure, Whitehall improved from a one-star to a three-star rating on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce report card.

Whitehall has also secured a $1.77 million CTE equipment grant to expand career and technical education pathways, and established Student Success Stores in multiple school buildings to provide students with school supplies in a dignified, privacy-respecting setting. The store data shows improved student attendance and a stronger sense of belonging in schools that have implemented the model, a concrete community partnership outcome.

28. Dr. Jason Fine

Dr. Jason Fine is Superintendent of Bexley City Schools, confirmed through May 2026 district communications. Under Fine's five-year tenure, Bexley High School has been ranked among Ohio's top two public high schools by US News and World Report in 2024 and 2025. In May 2026, Fine announced his departure from Bexley at the end of July 2026 to become the next superintendent of New Albany-Plain Local Schools under a five-year contract.

Fine previously served as principal at Jones Middle School and Barrington Elementary in Upper Arlington and holds a Doctorate in Education from Miami University. His tenure at Bexley is described by the board as one that built a foundation of excellence and left the district in a position of strength for the next leader, Dr. Katherine Nowak, who assumes the role on August 1, 2026.

29. Jason Caudill

Jason Caudill is Principal of Secondary Schools at Bexley High School, confirmed on the school's official website. The school's own records note its consistent top-two ranking in Ohio for public high schools. Bexley High School serves approximately 764 students in grades 9-12 with a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 17:1.

Maintaining the academic culture that produces a top-ranked school in a small, community-focused district requires sustained instructional leadership at the building level alongside close partnership with district administration. Caudill's work at Bexley High School has contributed to a period of sustained recognition that has made the school one of the most cited examples of high-performing public education in central Ohio.

30. Michael Sawyers

Michael Sawyers is Superintendent of New Albany-Plain Local Schools, confirmed in district communications through June 2026. During his decade leading the district since 2016, New Albany-Plain Local maintained a Five-Star rating from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and advanced a $135 million campus master plan. Sawyers received the 2024 Exemplary Leadership Award from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA).

In April 2026, Sawyers announced he will transition to lead the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio on August 1, 2026. Dr. Jason Fine succeeds him as superintendent. Sawyers described the move as bittersweet, noting that New Albany-Plain Local Schools has been one of the greatest honours of his professional life, and pointing to academic excellence, facility investment, and community partnerships as the key achievements of his decade there.

31. Megan Ballinger

Megan Ballinger is Principal of New Albany Intermediate School in New Albany-Plain Local Schools. Ballinger serves on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, confirmed in the organisation's November 2025 board listing. Serving on the OAESA board while leading a school in one of the region's consistently highest-performing suburban districts reflects peer recognition within the broader professional field.

New Albany Intermediate serves students in the transitional years between elementary and middle school within a campus-based district where all eight buildings are connected by tree-lined walkways and surrounded by an 80-acre nature preserve. The campus model creates an unusual degree of continuity in a student's educational experience.

Catholic School Leadership

The Catholic schools of the Diocese of Columbus are among the strongest in Ohio. In 2025, 95 percent of diocesan schools reported average or high growth in reading, and diocesan students surpassed Ohio public school averages in reading proficiency. The diocese now oversees 50 Catholic schools and is planning new schools for 2026-27. At the helm of the system and its most prominent individual schools are leaders committed to both academic excellence and Catholic formation.

32. Dr. Adam Dufault

Dr. Adam Dufault is Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Columbus, overseeing a network of 50 schools. In March 2026, Dufault forged a new partnership with the University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education to bring ACE Teaching Fellows to diocesan schools beginning in 2026-27, the first such partnership for the Diocese of Columbus. Dufault described the partnership as a blessing to students, schools, and communities and consistent with the mission to provide a high-quality Catholic education rooted in faith, service, and academic excellence.

Dufault holds an Ed.D. from Seton Hall University and a certificate in executive management from the University of Notre Dame. The diocese's strategic plan, Real Presence Real Future, guides the school system's approach to mission, academic excellence, and Catholic culture. Under Dufault's leadership the diocese has expanded to 50 schools, welcomed more than 20 new school administrators in the 2025-26 academic year alone, and sustained above-average reading growth across 95 percent of its schools.

33. Christopher Kowalski

Christopher Kowalski is Principal of Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, confirmed in publicly available records for 2025-26. Bishop Hartley is a coeducational Catholic high school of approximately 715 students, operating under the Diocese of Columbus with the motto Transforming lives through the teachings of Jesus Christ within the Catholic tradition. The school operates a six-house structure across its grades.

Bishop Hartley is one of the central Catholic high schools in Columbus and competes in the Central Catholic League. The school has a long tradition as a college-preparatory institution within the Diocese of Columbus and sits on the east side of the city, serving students from across Franklin County.

34. Matthew Brickner

Matthew Brickner is Principal of Bishop Ready High School in Columbus, confirmed in school records listing a 2024-25 enrolment of 440 students. Bishop Ready is a smaller coeducational Catholic high school in the west Columbus area serving grades 9-12, competing in the Central Buckeye League as the Silver Knights.

The school's motto, Quae Sunt Dei Deo, meaning To God the things that are God's, reflects the school's Catholic identity. Bishop Ready serves the west Columbus Catholic community as one of the Diocese of Columbus high schools operating under Superintendent Dufault's leadership. Leading a smaller Catholic school requires the same range of administrative leadership as a larger institution, often with fewer support staff and resources.

35. James Lower

James Lower is Principal of Saint Charles Preparatory School, an all-male Catholic high school in east Columbus founded in 1923 and celebrating its centenary in 2023 with a new motto, Building Better Men. Saint Charles serves approximately 505 students in grades 9-12 on a 26-acre urban campus and operates under the Diocese of Columbus with the descriptor the distinctive leader in Catholic education.

Saint Charles Preparatory is one of the longest-established Catholic secondary schools in Columbus and has a strong tradition of preparing graduates for competitive university programmes. The school competes in the Central Catholic League alongside Bishop Hartley and other Columbus-area Catholic schools.

36. Ryan Pettit

Ryan Pettit is Principal of Cristo Rey Columbus High School, confirmed in a November 2025 Catholic Times article in which Pettit announced the school's expansion to add a middle school for 2026-27. Pettit described the expansion as beginning with 25 to 30 sixth-grade students in fall 2026, with additional grades added in subsequent years.

Cristo Rey Columbus is a Catholic college-preparatory high school in downtown Columbus using a Corporate Work Study Programme that enables students to offset tuition costs through professional work placements. In 2025, 100 percent of the graduating class was accepted to college. Pettit came to Cristo Rey Columbus as a math teacher, taught for three years, joined administration in 2021, and holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Notre Dame's Mary Ann Remick Leadership programme.

Charter School Leaders

Columbus is home to one of the most significant charter school investments in Ohio. KIPP Columbus has grown from 50 fifth-grade students in 2008 to nearly 2,500 K-12 students on a 150-plus acre campus and has earned the Ohio Department of Education Momentum Award for the most recent three consecutive years. The leaders of these organisations are among the most results-driven school leaders in the metro.

37. Hannah Powell

Hannah Powell is Executive Director of KIPP Columbus, confirmed across multiple sources including the KIPP Columbus Board of Directors page and professional profiles. Powell has led KIPP Columbus through the organisation's expansion from a middle school of 300 students to a PreK-12 system educating nearly 2,500 students on a purpose-built campus. Under Powell, KIPP Columbus constructed its current 150-plus acre campus, opened KIPP Columbus Primary in 2023 and KIPP Columbus Elementary in 2024, and has earned the Ohio Momentum Award for student academic growth for three consecutive years.

For the most recent 2024-25 year, 81 percent of kindergarten students and 86 percent of first-grade students ended the year on grade level in early literacy. Every graduating class since the first in 2020 has graduated on track and on time, with 100 percent accepted to college or military service. Powell holds a Master of Education from Saint Joseph's University and a Bachelor's degree from Wittenberg University. The KIPP Columbus campus also partners with more than 100 community organisations to provide extracurricular activities, mental health services, and an onsite Nationwide Children's Hospital health clinic.

38. Dr. Shirley Brown

Dr. Shirley Brown is School Leader of KIPP Columbus High School, confirmed on the KIPP Columbus High School page. KIPP Columbus High School aspires to develop college and career-ready learners who will mature into global citizens with an active interest in the world beyond their community.

Brown's leadership of the high school is grounded in a commitment to social and emotional learning and an equitable, inclusive school culture. KIPP Columbus High serves students who have progressed through the broader KIPP Columbus system and is part of a network where every graduating class since 2020 has graduated on track and on time. The school partners with the Battelle Environment Centre attached to the high school building.

39. Stacie Snyder

Stacie Snyder is Principal of Columbus Performance Academy Shepard, confirmed on the school's official 2025-26 page. Columbus Performance Academy Shepard received the Momentum Award from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in 2024 and was named a Quality Charter School for 2023-24. The Momentum Award recognises schools that improved their Performance Index by three or more points from the prior year while earning a value-added progress rating of four or more stars.

Columbus Performance Academy Shepard is part of the Performance Academies network and serves students in southeast Columbus. Snyder has described the school as welcoming, fun, and full of opportunity, and has built a team of teachers described by families as people who truly care about the students they serve.

Private and Independent School Leaders

Columbus has a collection of strong independent schools that serve significant numbers of students and hold national accreditations. Their heads and principals bring comparable levels of educational leadership to those of district superintendents, managing complex multi-level institutions with their own faculties, boards, and strategic planning processes.

40. Melissa Soderberg

Melissa Soderberg is Head of School at Columbus Academy, a pre-K-12 independent day school serving approximately 1,162 students on a 231-acre campus in Gahanna, confirmed on the school's 2025-26 leadership page. Columbus Academy holds membership in both the National Association of Independent Schools and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and maintains an 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

The school's motto, In Quest of the Best, reflects an academic culture that positions Columbus Academy as one of the most resource-intensive educational environments in the Columbus region. Under Soderberg, the school maintains record or near-record enrolment and a strong programme across lower, middle, and upper school divisions.

41. Camille J.L. Seals

Camille J.L. Seals is Head of School at Columbus School for Girls (CSG), confirmed in the school's records. Columbus School for Girls is the only all-girls high school in Franklin County, serving approximately 530 students from pre-K through grade 12 in Bexley. Founded in 1898, CSG holds membership in the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and is known for its college preparatory programme, average class size of 13, and its commitment to educating young women for lives of strength and grace.

CSG regularly places graduates at competitive universities nationally. The school's motto, Forte et Gratum, means Strength and Grace, and captures the institutional identity that Seals leads. As the only all-girls high school in Franklin County, CSG occupies a distinctive position in the Columbus educational landscape.

42. Eliza McLaren

Eliza McLaren is Head of School at The Wellington School, confirmed as the sixth head in the school's history in the school's Wikipedia listing, and confirmed in Wellington's August 2025 start-of-year address in which McLaren noted the school achieved its largest enrolment in history at 750 students for 2025-26. Wellington is a coeducational independent day school for pre-K through grade 12 located in Upper Arlington, founded in 1982 as Columbus's first coeducational independent school.

In 2025-26, Wellington reported record enrolment in early childhood, lower school, and middle school, a retention rate of 93 percent (above NAIS and OAIS averages), and an acceptance rate that dropped 14 percent as qualified applicants exceeded available places. McLaren described Wellington as a joyful, ambitious, and essential school and has focused on deepening family-school partnership and strengthening community through intentional programme development.

43. Shaka Arnold

Shaka Arnold is Head of Middle School at Columbus Academy, confirmed in the school's Wikipedia listing for 2025-26. Arnold leads the middle school division within Columbus Academy's K-12 programme, overseeing a division that provides the bridge between the lower and upper school experiences within one of central Ohio's most academically rigorous independent schools.

Columbus Academy's middle school serves students in grades 6-8 within the school's overall 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio environment. Divisional leadership at an independent school of this scale requires managing both curriculum and culture for a community that has made a deliberate investment in an independent educational environment.

44. Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen is Head of Lower School at Columbus Academy, confirmed in the school's Wikipedia listing for 2025-26. Within the broader Columbus Academy structure led by Head of School Melissa Soderberg, Hansen oversees the lower school programme covering the foundational years of education.

The combination of experienced divisional heads across lower, middle, and upper school levels at Columbus Academy reflects the staffing philosophy of a well-resourced independent school that takes seriously the developmental differences between age groups. The lower school's emphasis on curiosity-driven learning within a structured academic framework sets the foundation for the school's college-preparatory upper school programme.

45. Nichole Crothers

Nichole Crothers is Principal of Olentangy High School, confirmed in school records for 2025-26. Olentangy High School, the original high school in the Olentangy Local School District, serves approximately 1,721 students in Lewis Center. As the district continues to add high schools to manage rapid enrolment growth, Olentangy High maintains the anchor programme and culture for the oldest school in a district that has grown dramatically since its founding.

Olentangy High competes in the Ohio Capital Conference under the nickname the Braves. The school's challenge in a fast-growing district is maintaining identity and community connection as more students are drawn toward newer buildings, while continuing to attract strong teachers and deliver results for the families that choose Olentangy High as their school of attendance.

46. Benjamin Jagger

Benjamin Jagger is Principal of Olentangy Berlin High School, confirmed in school records with a 2025-26 enrolment of 1,969 students. Olentangy Berlin is the fourth and newest high school in the Olentangy Local School District, having opened in 2018. The school is known as the Bears and competes in the Ohio Capital Conference.

Leading a high school that has grown to nearly 2,000 students within six years of opening requires building culture, tradition, and institutional identity at speed, alongside managing normal academic and operational demands. Olentangy Berlin's growth trajectory reflects the broader demographic pressures facing the entire Olentangy Local School District.

47. Dr. Keisha Fletcher-Bates

Dr. Keisha Fletcher-Bates is Principal of Trevitt Elementary School in Columbus City Schools. The district's own leadership communications describe Fletcher-Bates as most passionate about student growth, mobilising community partners, and changing the trajectory of the student experience at Trevitt. Trevitt serves a community on the east side of Columbus.

Fletcher-Bates brings a clear focus on community partnership as a driver of school improvement within one of the country's larger urban districts. Mobilising community partners in a Columbus City Schools elementary school context means connecting families to resources, building relationships with local organisations, and creating the kind of school experience that changes what students believe is possible for themselves.

48. Ernest White

Ernest White is Principal of North Columbus Preparatory Academy, a charter school in northeast Columbus. In November 2024, White was featured in a news segment for his efforts to keep students engaged in school and connected to their community. North Columbus Preparatory Academy is a tuition-free public charter school focused on integrating social-emotional learning into daily life skills programming alongside academic standards.

The school offers technology-enhanced classrooms, competitive sports, and a vibrant fine arts programme, positioning itself as a school that prepares students for the journey of life, not just academic performance metrics. White's approach to building a close-knit school culture in northeast Columbus reflects an understanding that belonging is a precondition for academic engagement.

49. Matt Middleton

Matt Middleton is Principal of Hilliard Darby High School, confirmed in school records for 2025-26 with an enrolment of 1,634 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.79. Hilliard Darby is one of three comprehensive high schools in Hilliard City Schools and ranks 45th among Ohio high schools in the US News rankings.

Hilliard Darby competes in the Ohio Capital Conference as the Panthers and serves students across the western Hilliard area. A top-50 high school ranking in a state with more than 1,400 high schools places Hilliard Darby in a strong position nationally, and maintaining that ranking requires consistent academic leadership at the building level.

50. Angie Adrean

Angie Adrean is Chief Academic Officer of Worthington Schools, confirmed as Zone 10 Director on the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA) Board of Directors in October 2025. Adrean was previously Principal of Worthington Kilbourne High School, where she was named Ohio Principal of the Year by OASSA in 2016. Her move to Chief Academic Officer reflects a career trajectory from building leadership to system-level academic leadership within the same district.

In her current role, Adrean oversees curriculum and instruction for a district of approximately 10,000 students in the middle of a $320 million master facility plan. The combination of building-level principal credibility, OASSA peer recognition, and district-level academic leadership makes Adrean one of the more experienced academic leaders in the suburban Columbus area.

Notable Voices We Almost Included

Several leaders who made the consideration list were ultimately not included because of confirmed recent departures or role changes. Dr. Monica Asher, the 2022-23 OASSA Ohio Principal of the Year while serving at Olentangy Orange High School, has since moved to a school outside the Columbus area. Several other leaders were considered but could not be included in the current edition due to limitations of confirmed information within the target verification window.

The broader national school leadership conversation includes voices like Randi Weingarten, Pedro Noguera, and Linda Darling-Hammond, whose work on equity, policy, and teacher preparation shapes the context in which every Columbus school leader operates. For a curated list of school leadership voices to follow nationally, see the related guide on this site.

Common Mistakes School Leaders Make

The most consistent pattern across struggling school systems is not a lack of vision. It is the gap between stated priorities and daily resource allocation. Leaders who articulate a student-first culture but protect administrative structures that do not serve students directly are operating that gap. The most effective leaders on this list manage it by making their real choices transparent and by demonstrating personally that the hardest decisions are made on principle rather than convenience.

The second most common pattern is treating community engagement as a communication function rather than a governance function. When Dublin City Schools paused its high school redistricting process in October 2025, Superintendent John Marschhausen was explicit about the reason: the process had not given the community sufficient clarity on criteria, the board needed more direction, and families deserved more time. That kind of transparency about process failure is harder to demonstrate than it looks, and its absence regularly turns manageable decisions into governance crises.

A third pattern is under-investing in leadership transition. Both New Albany-Plain Local Schools and Bexley City Schools are managing simultaneous superintendent transitions in summer 2026. The strength of both districts heading into those transitions reflects the value of intentional succession culture and the institutional stability that comes from a decade of clear strategic direction.

Finally, building-level principals who do not invest in their professional networks often find themselves competing for resources rather than accessing them. The principals on this list who have invested time in organisations like OAESA and OASSA, including Rodney Johnson, Megan Ballinger, Andrew Smith, Diane Agnes, and Angie Adrean, tend to bring both individual credibility and systemic perspective to their buildings.

Implementation Guide for Columbus School Leaders

For superintendents and district leaders in the Columbus area, the most pressing shared challenge in 2026 is financial sustainability. The combination of rising costs, property tax reform uncertainty, and state funding formula volatility means that the districts that thrive in the next five years will be those that have built genuine community trust through consistent transparency. Annual State of the Schools events with real data, budget communications that explain trade-offs honestly, and consistent follow-through on levy commitments are the foundations of that trust.

For building principals, the pattern across the award-winning schools on this list is consistent: the recognition follows internal clarity. Every Hall of Fame school on this list, from Cedarwood Elementary to Hoffman Trails to Fairfield Elementary, reflects a school where the leader has spent years building a culture of consistent instructional focus. The structures that support great teaching take years to build and require a stable leader willing to do the same thing well for a long time.

For charter school leaders, the KIPP Columbus model offers a useful frame. Hannah Powell has led KIPP Columbus through multiple phases of physical and programmatic expansion, and in each phase the question has been whether expansion serves more students well. Three consecutive Momentum Awards reflect that the answer, so far, is yes.

For Catholic and independent school leaders, the most significant strategic question of the next five years is enrolment and mission clarity. Cristo Rey Columbus, Wellington, and Columbus Academy are each demonstrating that parents who understand exactly what a school stands for and what it delivers choose it deliberately and stay. Eliza McLaren's Wellington achieving a 93 percent retention rate reflects what happens when a school consistently matches its own description.

Organisations wanting to support their school leadership teams with professional development can hire Jonno White for a keynote, Working Genius workshop, or executive team offsite. Many organisations find that flying Jonno in from Brisbane costs far less than expected. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the superintendent of Columbus City Schools?

Dr. Angela Chapman is the Superintendent and CEO of Columbus City Schools as of June 2026. Chapman was confirmed as permanent superintendent in May 2023 and the board extended her contract through July 2029 in March 2026. Chapman has led the district through a major $50 million budget reduction process while negotiating a new union contract with the Columbus Education Association and advocating at the state level for fairer funding formulas.

What is the largest school district in Columbus Ohio?

Columbus City Schools is the largest school district in Columbus and in the state of Ohio, serving more than 46,000 students across more than 100 buildings in 2025-26. Founded in 1845, the district serves most of the city of Columbus. Several suburban municipalities within the Columbus metro are served by separate school districts including Dublin, Hilliard, Olentangy, Westerville, and others.

What are the top-ranked public high schools in Columbus Ohio?

Bexley High School and Columbus Alternative High School consistently rank among Ohio's top public high schools. Bexley High School was ranked second in Ohio in the 2025 US News rankings. Columbus Alternative High School placed 16th in Ohio in the 2024 US News rankings with an overall score of 97.11 out of 100 and has held national recognition for more than a decade. Upper Arlington High School also consistently ranks in Ohio's top 25 public high schools.

What charter schools are in Columbus Ohio?

Columbus is home to several charter school networks. KIPP Columbus, the only KIPP school in Ohio, educates nearly 2,500 students K-12 on a 150-plus acre campus and has earned the Ohio Momentum Award for three consecutive years. Cristo Rey Columbus is a Catholic college-preparatory high school in downtown Columbus using a Corporate Work Study model. Performance Academies operate several Columbus schools including Columbus Performance Academy Shepard, and North Columbus Preparatory Academy serves northeast Columbus.

What Catholic high schools are in Columbus Ohio?

The Diocese of Columbus oversees 50 Catholic schools including several high schools in Columbus. Bishop Hartley High School, Bishop Ready High School, Saint Charles Preparatory School, and Cristo Rey Columbus High School are among the Catholic secondary schools in the area. The diocese is led by Superintendent Dr. Adam Dufault and in 2025 its students surpassed Ohio public school averages in reading proficiency.

Final Thoughts

Columbus, Ohio's school landscape in 2026 is one of contrast and momentum simultaneously. The city's largest district is navigating real financial pressure while demonstrating that advocacy and operational management can coexist. Its most rapidly growing suburban districts are building schools faster than many cities build anything. Its charter sector is proving that publicly funded schools can deliver outcomes that rival the most resource-rich private institutions. Its Catholic and independent schools are reporting record enrolments, expanded campuses, and sustained academic results.

The 50 leaders in this directory did not choose easy roles. Superintendent of Ohio's largest school district during a budget crisis. Executive director of a charter network expanding to nearly 2,500 students. Principal of a Catholic high school leading its first middle school expansion. Head of school at an independent school that has never been larger. Each of these roles carries real accountability, real community expectations, and real consequences if things go wrong.

For school leadership teams across the Columbus area who want to invest in their own culture and effectiveness, Jonno White works with schools of every type and size, from district leadership teams to building-level principal cohorts. Jonno is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, author of Step Up or Step Out (10,000+ copies sold), and host of The Leadership Conversations Podcast. To book Jonno for your next executive team offsite, Working Genius workshop, keynote, or leadership development session, email jonno@consultclarity.org. Whether virtual or face to face, reach out to explore what is possible.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, author of Step Up or Step Out, and leadership consultant who has worked with schools, corporates, and nonprofits around the world. His book Step Up or Step Out has sold over 10,000 copies globally, and his podcast The Leadership Conversations has featured 230+ episodes reaching listeners in 150+ countries. Jonno founded The 7 Questions Movement with 6,000+ participating leaders and achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating for his Working Genius masterclass at the ASBA 2025 National Conference. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jonno works globally and regularly travels for speaking and facilitation engagements. Organisations consistently find that international travel is far more affordable than expected.

To book Jonno for your next keynote, workshop, or facilitation session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Next Read

For more on the people shaping education leadership in the United States and beyond, explore the guide to 50 Essential US Public Education Leaders to Follow.

Keep reading: https://www.consultclarity.org/post/50-essential-us-public-education-leaders-to-follow