The Columbia Public School District is centered in Columbia, Missouri and serves much of Boone County. The district is for the special with Distinction by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It serves 18,070 students as of 2011 making it the tenth-largest district in the state. The district supports four high schools, six middle schools, and twenty-one elementary schools. In addition, the district contains a career center, center for gifted education, and center for special education. - Source: Wikipedia