School History
The Worthington community is widely recognized for its tradition of excellence. Worthington Kilbourne High School and Thomas Worthington carry a legacy that has become nationally recognized for its progressiveness and quality. Worthington's first settlers benefited from sound educational facilities in their original homes, and they were determined to provide similar opportunities for their children.
As an exemplification of this determination, the first public building erected in Worthington was a school.
This school, a large log structure, stood on the northeast quadrant of the Village Green. When classes were not in session, the schoolhouse was used as a church by the Episcopalians.
Two large sections of land on the western edge of the settlement were set aside as school and church lands in 1803 when the log school was being constructed.
Thomas Worthington High School stands on the school land; Kilbourne Village stands on the church land. James Kilbourne, Worthington's founder, and Thomas Worthington, first governor of Ohio, together had tremendous effect on developing Worthington. Because of their vision for the future, the first secondary school in central Ohio was established in 1808. The original log school building was dismantled and replaced by a two-story brick building. Classes were held on the first floor, and Episcopalian Church services were conducted on the second floor. This center of teaching and learning was named the Worthington Academy, and Philander Chase, rector of the Episcopal Church, served as the
first school master.
The school moved out of the building in 1843, and a medical college moved in and prospered until the townspeople were aroused by the possibility that medical students had been robbing local graves in order to obtain cadavers on which to carve. The substantiation of these suspicions swiftly sent the unpopular medical school to Cincinnati. A Town Hall was constructed for educational purposes in 1856; however, it was soon realized that a roomier structure was necessary, and in 1871 the Town Hall was sold to the township while plans for a larger school house were drawn. While construction of this school house proceeded, students continued their studies in the old Worthington Academy building.
In 1873, the new school house, the west grade school building, was completed. 1893 saw the destruction of the Worthington Academy and found the east grade school completed and ready to receive students.
By 1937, however, both the west and east grade schools were razed, and the Annex building was erected at the northwest corner of Granville Road and Evening Street.
In 2008, that building has been transformed into the Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, designed to be a showcase of the arts. Two girls comprised Worthington High School's first graduating class of 1880. The first 41 years of operation saw a total of 508 students graduating. That total has rapidly increased to tens of thousands of Worthington graduates today. This year over 3,000 students will receive education at
Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne buildings that were completed in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1958, 1976, 1991 and 1993.
Both High Schools are situated on campuses that reflect the natural beauty of the area. Worthington Kilbourne and Thomas Worthington each house students in grades 9 through
12 and have multi-sports complexes. The schools share a natatorium located on the campus of TWHS. Linworth campus, a short distance between TWHS and WKHS, is home for a unique alternative program with emphasis on experiential learning. Approximately 180 students in grades 9 through 12, from WKHS and TWHS, attend Linworth. Worthington Kilbourne and Thomas Worthington High Schools offer a broad and diverse curriculum developed to meet the various needs of Worthington students and to prepare them for the twenty-first century. Opportunities include internships, academies (Entrepreneurship Business Academy and Project Lead the Way), fourth and fifth-year foreign language classes, independent studies in all disciplines, technical problem-solving, fine arts seminars, concurrent enrollment at nearby Ohio State University, field study programs in the Southwest, Northwest and the Bahamas. Advanced Placement courses are offered in American History, English Language, English Literature, European History, French, Spanish, U.S. Government, biology, calculus, chemistry, physics, music theory and studio art. Both high schools have alcohol and other drug programs, and intervention assistance teams to help students experience greater academic success.