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Below the overview of the district are links to KBIA's coverage of Columbia 93 district schools, updated as more stories are published. Columbia 93 at a glanceThe Columbia 93 school district currently includes 32 different schools. In 2014, the district had a k-12 enrollment of 17,204 students, which is 2% of the total k-12 enrollment for the state. Enrollment has been slightly increasing in recent years, 2% since 2011. While a small percent, that amounts to almost 400 more students. There have also been major re-drawing of attendance areas with the addition of Battle High School. Middle school attendance areas shape high school boundaries 00000178-cc7d-da8b-a77d-ec7d2f9e0000The changes have affected all schools in the district, including causing high school attendance to increase and overcrowding at one middle school at least.

Mother Files $2.4 Million Suit Against Columbia Schools and Police

KBIA | By Jessica Blake

Published February 14, 2020 at 8:11 AM CST

Kandas Holmes-Barnes filed a lawsuit in late January for $2.4 million collectively against Columbia Public Schools and the Columbia Police Department as a response to the wrongful arrest of her daughter at Smithton Middle School in January 2019.

Holmes-Barnes maintains her daughter was the subject of discrimination and said detrimental effects on her daughter include mental health diagnoses, cyberbullying and emotional distress.

Smithton School Resource Officer Tony Ash arrested Holmes-Barnes’ daughter on assault charges on Jan. 10, 2019, after school officials told him she attacked a student who ended up being treated for injuries. It was later determined to be a case of mistaken identity. Holmes-Barnes’ daughter, then 14, was released following a night in juvenile detention after police received exculpatory evidence.

Holmes-Barnes filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights in May 2019.

Holmes-Barnes filed the civil lawsuit Jan. 27 in Boone County. She is representing herself.

For more information, visit our partners at the Columbia Missourian.