Frederick Law Olmsted Academy South
JCPS's all-girls middle school — resides campus and districtwide STEAM magnet
All girls · grades 6–8 · Districtwide Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet · Olmsted Academy North is the boys campus
- Grades: 6th–8th, girls
- How to get in: Resides + magnet application
- School day: 8:40 a.m.–3:20 p.m.
Olmsted Academy South is JCPS's all-girls public middle school. Current Choices lists it both under Resides Schools and as the districtwide Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet. Boys in this part of town go to Olmsted Academy North. Sitting in the building as a resides student is not the same as sitting in the magnet program — if your resides school has a magnet you want, JCPS says you must apply. JCPS Insider is not affiliated with Jefferson County Public Schools.
5650 Southern Parkway · South Louisville · Kentucky
Official starting points
- Olmsted South's official JCPS page(opens in a new tab)
- JCPS student assignment(opens in a new tab)
- School Finder(opens in a new tab)
- How to apply(opens in a new tab)
- Current Choices Guide(opens in a new tab)
- KDE School Report Card(opens in a new tab)
School Choice:(502) 485-6250schoolchoice@jefferson.kyschools.us
What this school is
Olmsted Academy South sits at 5650 Southern Parkway and serves girls in grades 6–8. It has two doors: a resides assignment for girls whose School Finder result is South, and a districtwide Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet that families apply to during the JCPS window — including girls whose resides school is already South.
The About page frames Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as the magnet pillars. Ask what a sixth-grader actually takes. The school is identified as CSI and in the bottom 5% statewide, with a KDE rating of Red / Level 1, so keep the STEAM pitch and the published numbers on the same page.
Who runs the building
Dr. Johana Gomez
Dr. Johana Gomez was named principal in May 2026, following Synthia Shelby, who appeared on the 2025–26 profile. The current staff page still lists Lisa McGarry, Jennifer Schofield, and Nicholas Schulz as assistant principals. Confirm names on the school site before you write a letter.
School details
- Address
- 5650 Southern Parkway, Louisville, KY 40214
- Phone
- (502) 485-8270
- Official JCPS site
- jefferson.kyschools.us/o/oas(opens in a new tab)
- School day: 8:40 a.m.–3:20 p.m.
- Title I: Yes
- Board district: Gail Logan Strange · District 5
- Enrollment by sex: 491 girls · 0 boys
How families get in
Girls whose resides school is Olmsted Academy South attend South as their resides school. South also has a districtwide Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet program that requires an application. If School Finder does not assign South, apply for the magnet during the JCPS window.
- Run School Finder. Write down whether South is the resides middle for a girl.
- If South is resides and you only want the neighborhood school, register. That is not the magnet.
- If you want the Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet, apply — even if South is already the resides school.
- If South is not resides, apply for the magnet during the window.
- Tour Southern Parkway during the academic day. Watch the response deadline if a magnet seat is offered.
Buses follow the resides rule
- Resides students use regular middle-school transportation.
- A magnet seat from outside the assignment is not automatically a magnet bus. Confirm 2026–27 on the Transportation Verification form.
Official 2027–28 application window: November 2, 2026 through December 18, 2026.
Who it tends to fit
A good match when
- School Finder assigns a girl here.
- You want the districtwide girls / STEAM magnet and can get her to Southern Parkway.
- A single-sex middle school matters in your household.
Think twice when
- You need high published proficiency.
- You want a coed Traditional magnet.
- You are enrolling a boy — that is Olmsted Academy North.
Students
Counts come from the JCPS Oct. 1, 2025 race file and the named South data book: 491 students, all girls, in a building the 2025–26 data book listed at 602 optimal capacity. Newer JCPS 2026–27 projections list 873; this guide keeps 602 as the dated book figure. Multilingual learners: 184. Gifted and talented: 44. Magnet enrollment in the data book: 51. Title I: Yes.
Diversity index
68%
Standard racial/ethnic diversity index using the Oct. 1, 2025 headcount of 491. Black students are the largest group, with Hispanic students next.
| Group | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Black / African American | 229 | 47% |
| Hispanic / Latino | 109 | 22% |
| White | 97 | 20% |
| Two or more races | 28 | 6% |
| Asian | 26 | 5% |
Gender: All girls — 491 female students, 0 male.
- Headcount 491 · Oct. 1, 2025
- Capacity 602 in the 2025–26 book; 873 in newer projections
- Grade split 168 / 166 / 157
- Multilingual learners 184 · gifted and talented 44 · magnet 51
- Title I: Yes · CSI / bottom 5%
Academics
Use the Kentucky School Report Card first. These figures match the official 2024–25 accountability table labeled Olmsted Academy South and the school's own banners.
- Reading: 12% proficient, 5% distinguished — 17% official combined P+D.
- Math: 10% proficient, 1% distinguished — 11% official combined P+D.
- Science: 5% proficient, 1% distinguished — 6% official combined P+D.
- KDE's CSI roster lists Olmsted Academy South under bottom 5%.
- STEAM language on the About page is the school's pitch. It is not a reading score. Ask how a sixth-grader who arrives novice gets taught.
Awards and recognition
Districtwide Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet
Listed as such in the current Choices guide
All-girls middle school
The counterpart campus to Olmsted Academy North
Location and daily life
5650 Southern Parkway, 40214 — south Louisville. The day runs 8:40 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., so tour the Southern Parkway car line at 8:20.
In 2026 JCPS approved the purchase of about 12.3 acres at 1400 Bicknell Avenue for future use. The official board item does not name the final school plan.
Recent news, in context
May 2026: Dr. Johana Gomez was named principal, following Synthia Shelby.
JCPS approved the Bicknell Avenue land purchase in 2026 without naming a final school use. Ask the office what families are being told now.
The 2027–28 application window runs November 2 through December 18, 2026.
Compare before you commit
- Olmsted Academy NorthAll-boys resides middle school listed under Resides Schools, not a districtwide magnet.
- Grace M. James Academy of ExcellenceDistrictwide Afrocentric academy for girls. Application required.
- Meyzeek MiddleMST magnet campus with stronger published scores. Separate application.
- Lassiter MiddleSouth-end coed resides middle with Governor's Cup and a STEM lab.
Questions to ask on a tour
- 1.Is South this address's resides school for a girl, or would we be applying to its magnet?
- 2.If South is resides, did we still apply for the STEAM magnet — or only register?
- 3.How is reading taught when official combined P+D is 17%?
- 4.There are 184 multilingual learners — who staffs ELD in this grade?
- 5.What STEAM courses can a sixth-grader actually take?
- 6.How long is the Southern Parkway car line at 8:20?
- 7.How do I reach the principal and the grade-level assistant principal?
- 8.What is the school telling families about the Bicknell Avenue land?
- 9.Is there a bus if we are not resides?
- 10.If we decline a magnet seat, what is the deadline?
What to do next
- 1.Run your address in School Finder and note whether South is the resides campus for a girl.
- 2.If you only want the neighborhood school, register.
- 3.If you want the Gender-Specific and STEAM magnet, apply during the window either way.
- 4.Complete the Transportation Verification form if you need a bus.
- 5.Tour Southern Parkway during the academic day and watch any offer deadline.