Sunday, September 8, 2013

Columbia School District Bond Proposal

On November 5th the Columbia School District has two Bond Proposals on the ballot. Both Proposal 1 and 2 include educational needs for Columbia students, rather than wants.  Our students and teachers are learning and working in buildings that range in age from 45 to 63 years in age.  When you take a look at the life-expectancy of building systems, you will see that many of the areas are in dire need of updating.  The average life span of doors, windows and roofs are considered architectural components and have a life-expectancy of 20 years.  Plumbing systems come in at a life-expectancy of 30 to 40 years.   HVAC systems are estimated to last 15 to 40 years, but the newest system in Columbia School District is 45 years old, while the oldest is 63 years old.  The district cannot afford to be without heat, so it makes replacement of updated equipment imperative.  Lighting, electrical and cabinet fixtures have life-expectancies ranging from 20 to 30 years, so it is easy to understand the intense needs that exist in our school buildings.

Proposal 1 encompasses necessary essential modifications and replacement of areas of our infrastructure which are failing.  This Proposal provides an opportunity to give Columbia students a safe, warm, dry and smart learning environment.  Building improvements include restricted entryways and increased safety features including the rerouting of traffic at the elementary and middle schools.  The traffic modifications will separate the bus traffic from the car and pedestrian traffic to increase safety.

Proposal 1 also includes upgrades to the fire safety system, door and window upgrades to increase safety and to improve energy efficiency.  Security cameras, electronic door technology and the elimination and replacement of worn out carpeting, will give our students a safer educational environment.  Many of our area community members, along with our students will appreciate improvements to our track and tennis courts, which at this time are not up to school safety standards due to the impact of aging.

Students will learn in a warmer and dryer environment with the replacement of roofs and ceilings that have at this point, outlived their useful life-expectancy.  Boilers and classroom heating systems will be replaced with updated equipment.  The building envelop will be improved by the replacement of leaky windows and doors, most of which are between 45 and 63 years old.

"Smart" in Proposal 1 refers to updating our technology infrastructure.  Currently our infrastructure ranges in age from ten to twenty years and is inadequate for the usage level of our students and teachers.  Since today's students use technology on an ongoing basis throughout the school day and into the evening hours, it is important to provide updated technology to teach student in the way in which they learn best.  In addition to upgrading the infrastructure Proposal 1 includes the replacement of student and teaching computers.

Proposal 1 will be possible for only an additional 2.15 mills which is the equivalent for less than the cost of two meals at a fast food establishment for only $8.96 per month for a home owner of a $100,000 home.

Proposal 2 focuses on restructuring Columbia Central High School to include 7th and 8th grades and reorganizing the elementary and middle school buildings to create an upper and lower elementary campus.  The 0.45 mills will enable the district to provide a cutting edge learning environment for 7th and 8th graders at Columbia Central, enhance technology and add a locker room.

The number of mills for Proposal 1 and 2 is an additional 2.60, which combined with the current 0.9 mills would levy only 3.5 mills.  The 3.5 mill levy would put us only slightly above Napoleon but less than Hanover-Horton, Onsted, Western, Northwest and East Jackson.

If you have questions, email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org or go to http://www.myeagles.org/Pdfs/InfomationalBondBrochureAugust2013.pdf to read more about the proposals.

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