Last week’s column explained the challenging situation the Columbus Public School District Board of Education is facing with the middle school facility. The main problems are found in the section that was built in 1924, which represents 42 percent of the building. There are three main categories of problems. The first is compliance issues with safety codes, the second is aging equipment and systems, and the third is space inadequacies. Below are the four solutions to these problems that the board is considering.

The first is to fix the structural problems of the 1924 building and add classroom space to the current structure. This would include immediately fixing all code-related issues for about $1.5 million, changing the heating and cooling equipment for about $3 million, fixing the roofs for at least $375,000, replacing windows and resurfacing the gym floors for about $300,000, and adding about eight classrooms at a cost of about $1 million. This last cost could increase to about $3 million if land across from the middle school is needed to meet city parking codes. The total cost of this remodeling would likely run somewhere between seven and ten million dollars.

There is currently a wide estimate range as exact costs in areas such as roofing, plumbing and wiring will not be known until preparation is done for the actual work. Addressing these areas could be significantly more expensive than initial estimates.

A second option the board is considering is the building of a new middle school north of town. The school district owns 27 acres south of the hospital. The cost of building a new facility would be about $20 to $23 million. This would provide a 175,000 square foot middle school at about $130 per foot.

A third option is more of a neighborhood concept. A smaller new building (for approximately 500 students) would be built on the land north of town. In addition to this structure, the school district would tear down the 1924 section of the current site and build new classrooms on that location. Students living in the northern side of town would attend the north site. Those in the southern side of town would attend the remodeled facility on the current location. This option would be slightly more costly than the second option at between $20 and $25 million.

One more possibility exists. That would be to bring the 1924 building up to code by spending the $1.5 million immediately. Then over time the district would replace equipment and systems as they fail. Such an option would avoid the immediate cost of a new facility or addition. However, it would leave a building with inadequate space and a design meant for educational programming in 1924. Like option one above it would force the district to invest a great deal of resources into an 83-year-old structure. The wisdom of this option would partly depend on how many years of additional life this would add to the building.

This is a critical question:  “Is it a good idea to invest millions of dollars in an old facility versus building new?”  By spending more and building new, the community would gain a facility that is energy frugal and maintenance efficient. It also would have a facility (or facilities) with a much longer usable life. The new building options would also give students ample space and an effective design for current and future programming needs.

So those are the four options the school board is discussing. Please let us know your thoughts on the alternatives. The district will be doing a phone survey in November to find out the preferences of the residents of Columbus. If your household is called, please take a few minutes to give us your opinions. This will greatly help the school board judge the preferences of the community and help them set a course of action on the future of the Columbus Middle School.

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