Opelika City Schools (OCS) is a school district headquartered in Opelika, Alabama. The district is accredited by the Alabama State Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school system enrolls approximately 4,300 students on nine campuses. Opelika has three primary schools with grades K-2, Southview [1], Jeter [2], and Carver [3], three intermediate schools with grades 3-5, West Forest [4], Northside [5], and Morris Avenue [6], Opelika Middle School [7] with grades 6-8, Opelika High School [8] with grades 9-12, and one at-risk school, Opelika Learning Center [9]. Opelika's schools have traditionally had strong programs in technology and the arts.
Beginning with PreK, students in the Opelika City Schools are offered a challenging and diverse curriculum. Individual student needs are met through grade level curriculum, intervention and remediation classes, as well as enrichment and accelerated courses. All students have ample opportunities for fine arts instruction as well as many extracurricular choices. Classrooms have fully integrated technology systems that include laptops, tablets, mounted projectors, Promethean™ boards, ActivSlates and Elmo™ document cameras. There are also several sets of ActivVotes and ActivExpressions available for teacher/student use. Opelika City Schools employ highly qualified teachers trained in the latest instructional techniques including the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), Transforming East Alabama Mathematics (TEAM-Math), Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), and Science in Motion.
All elementary schools have school-wide Title I programs. They provide a warm learning environment to meet the needs of all students. The rigorous curriculum is aligned with the Alabama Courses of Study and is directed by system-wide pacing guides developed by teachers. This consistency allows transient students a greater opportunity for success. The Harcourt program and the Scott Foresman Investigations program provide the basic framework for the reading and math curricula. In addition, teachers use system-wide writing rubrics and administer common assessments throughout the year.