CLEARBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL

In 1957, the public entity Columbus City Schools launched a new venture: Clearbrook Elementary School. This was an era of expansion for the district, and Clearbrook was established to serve a growing community's educational needs. For decades, it operated as a standard public institution, eventually transitioning to become Clearbrook Middle School, serving students in grades 6 through 8. The organization's trajectory took a significant turn in the 21st century. After more than five decades of operation under its original charter, the environment shifted. In 2013, Columbus City Schools made a strategic decision to close Clearbrook Middle School. This closure, however, was not the end of the story for the physical asset. In a move analogous to an acquisition, the school building itself was sold in 2015. The buyer was not a competing district, but a new entrant into the education market: the charter school United Preparatory Academy. This transaction marked the end of the Clearbrook Middle School brand and the transfer of its core infrastructure to a private operator, reflecting a broader trend of transformation within the public education landscape.