Message from the Superintendent

Welcome to the STEM Capital of Indiana!

Welcome to Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation. Whether you are a longtime BCSC family, new to Columbus, or just curious about what our schools offer, I am glad you are here.

Columbus has always been a community defined by ideas, a place where engineering, design, and innovation are part of everyday life. As one of Indiana's largest districts, serving more than 11,000 students, BCSC carries that spirit into every classroom, preparing young people for a world that runs on science, technology, and creativity.

The title of “STEM Capital of Indiana” is more than a slogan. In BCSC, STEM begins early and consistently runs through every level of our curriculum. Our youngest learners build, code, and experiment with their hands, and many move into advanced math well ahead of schedule. By high school, students are taking Advanced Placement sciences, earning dual credit, competing in robotics, and training for real careers through C4 Columbus Area Career Connection and its more than 130 courses. Last year alone, our students earned nearly 10,000 college credits and  350 industry certifications in technical fields, much of it before they crossed the graduation stage. Here, students learn in a community shaped by engineers, designers, and innovators, surrounded by the industries that make Columbus a center of ingenuity. Here, students do more than just study STEM. They live it in our classrooms every day.

I am proud of what our students and staff accomplish here. Our graduation rate is the highest in district history and more of our elementary students read on grade level than ever before. Our classrooms and teams have brought home dozens of academic and athletic state championships, among the most of any district in Indiana.

None of that happens without remarkable people. Our teachers build their careers here, with over 94% returning year after year. For three consecutive years, a BCSC educator has been chosen as a finalist for Indiana’s Teacher of the Year, and BCSC was named one of only four K-12 districts in the state to earn a Forbes Best-in-State Employer award.

What I am most proud of is harder to express as a number. It is the team of caring adults who know every high schooler by name and stay with them all four years. It is students growing up bilingual at Legado, and a district that believes there is more than one path to success and helps every child find theirs. It is the character our students carry on and off the field, reflected in earning the second-most IHSAA Mental Attitude Awards of any district in the state.

At BCSC, we say we are THE CHOICE to learn, work, and play. I invite you to explore this site, visit our schools, and see for yourself. We are glad you are here, and we are proud to be your school.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Chad Phillips 
Superintendent, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation