Kids are headed back to the classroom. Here's when school starts across Franklin County

It's the first day of school for some central Ohio students.

School start dates can be confusing with some districts opting for orientations and staggered starts for high school freshman, kindergartners and or preschoolers. Most students will begin their classes towards the end of this week or the start of next.

According to calendars from school districts in the area, here is when students will return to classes in Franklin County and some of the districts surrounding it:

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Franklin County start dates:

• Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools: The first day of classes for firefighting juniors was Aug. 12. On Aug. 13 only returning seniors in the firefighting, nail tech and STNA programs will report to class.
• Groveport Madison Local Schools: Grades 1-6 and 9 started Aug. 12 and grades 1-12 report Aug. 13.
• Grandview Heights Schools: Aug. 13
• Hamilton Local Schools: Aug. 14
• Upper Arlington City Schools: Grades 1-6 and 9 start Aug. 14 and all students grades 1-12 will be in class Aug. 15 and there will be kindergarten orientation Aug. 14 and 15.
• Westerville City Schools: Wednesday Aug. 14 for grades 1-5, 6 and 9. Kindergarten students have a gentle start Aug. 14-16 and preschool students have a gentle start date between Aug. 14 and 15. All students grades 1-12 will be in class on Aug. 15 and preschool and kindergarten students will all be in class Aug. 19.
• Worthington City Schools: Aug. 14
• Columbus City Schools: Aug. 21 except Woodcrest Elementary, Columbus City Schools’ only year-round school that started July 24.
• Bexley City Schools: Students grades 1-6 and 9 start Aug. 15 with a partial kindergarten roster. All students grades 1-12 will be in attendance with a partial kindergarten roster Aug. 16.
• Dublin City Schools: Thursday Aug. 15 first K-12 day. The district will have phase in days for kindergarten students on the 15 and 16 with its first day of preschool on Aug. 21.
• Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools: Aug. 15
• New Albany-Plain Local Schools: Grades 1-12 with last names A-K start Aug. 19 and last names L-Z start Aug. 20 only. All grades 1-12 report Aug. 21 and preschoolers and kindergartners A-K start. Preschoolers and kindergartners L-Z start Aug. 22. Kindergartners and preschoolers only with last names A-K have a half day Aug. 23 then kindergartners and preschoolers only with last names L-Z have a half day Aug. 26.
• Whitehall City Schools: Grades 1-9 start Aug. 19, grades 10-12 and preschool start Aug. 20 and kindergarten starts Aug. 26.
• Canal Winchester Local Schools: Grades 1-6 and 9 will start Aug. 20 and grades 1-12 will be in class Aug. 21. Kindergarteners last names starting with A-G will be in class Aug. 20, last names H-O will be in class Aug. 21 and last names P-Z will be in class Aug. 22.
• Hilliard City Schools: Wednesday Aug. 21
• Reynoldsburg City Schools: Aug. 21 for K-9 students with the last name starting with A-K and Aug. 22 for those students with the last starting with L-Z. All students grates 10-12 will start Aug. 21.
• South-Western City Schools: Wednesday Aug. 21 for grades 4-12. Students in grades K-3 will have a staggered start with last names A-G only on Aug 21, last names H-O only on Aug. 22 and last names P-Z only on Aug. 23.

Start dates for central Ohio districts outside Franklin County

• Buckeye Valley Local Schools: Aug. 14. Kindergartners will have gentle start days between Aug. 14-20 and all kindergartners will be in class Aug. 21.
• Delaware City Schools: Aug. 14
• Fairbanks Local Schools: Aug. 14 for grades 1-12 and Aug. 19 for kindergarten
• Licking Heights Local Schools: Pre-K and grades 1-9 on Aug. 15, with grades 10-12 on Aug. 16. Kindergarten is staggered with last names A-K on Aug. 15 and L-Z on Aug. 16.
• Olentangy Local Schools: Thursday Aug. 15
• Pickerington Local Schools: Staggered start for grades 1-12 on Aug. 15-16. The first day for all grades 1-12 is Aug. 19 and for kindergarten is Aug. 20.
• Big Walnut Local Schools: Aug. 16 and preschool Aug. 19
• Jonathan Alder Local Schools: All students start Aug. 21 except kindergarteners who have a staggered start for Aug. 21 and 22.
• Madison-Plains Local Schools: Kindergarten girls and grades 1-12 start Aug. 21 and kindergarten boys start Aug. 22.
• Marysville Exempted Village Schools: Marysville Schools will have a staggered start. On Aug. 14 all 9 ^th graders will start, grades 1-8 with last names A-M will attend. All high school students will be in class Aug. 15 and grades 1-8 with last names N-Z will attend. The, next day all students grades 1-8 will attend. There will be kindergarten readiness appointments Aug. 14-16 and all kindergartners will attend Aug. 19.

DHunt@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kids are headed back to the classroom. Here's when school starts across Franklin County