The Flavor of Columbia Education

Snap, Crackle, Pop! Those familiar words are trademarked by Kellogg’s Cereal to represent their Rice Krispies Cereal. Since the iconic elfin characters were developed 1933 to help publicize the cereal, they have undergone many updates, but have remained the same loveable characters.
The ten or so changes over the past eighty years in the appearance of the small elfin characters, reminded me of the fact that the Columbia School District will be undergoing changes in the appearance of the buildings, while the dependable “flavor” of the Columbia education will remain tried and true, just like the taste of the crispy rice cereal.
The Columbia School Board, administration and steering committee are involved in a conversation designed to initialize the changes to the buildings and grounds based upon the goals that were set early on in the Facility Improvement planning process: To make our buildings warm, dry, safe and smart. To accommodate the expansive nature of the project, it has been split in to two phases.
While the entire time line has not been defined, it appears as though the first phase will include installing new roofs, increasing student and staff safety by designing and constructing the new bus and parent drives and parking areas between the elementary and middle schools, designing and installating of wiring for an increased level of technology at all schools, and using focus groups to initiate the design process for interior building remodeling. The second half of the first phase will include the transformation of the area south of the Media Center at Columbia Central High School to accommodate the seventh and eighth grade students, starting construction on the elementary secure entry vestibule and the junior high locker room addition for CCHS.
The second phase will include replacement of the boilers, remodeling of restrooms, classrooms and office areas, replacement of windows and doors, improvements to the technology, parking lots, tennis courts and CCHS track. We will continue to solidify the timelines as we move through the early weeks of the process. Over the next several months there will be opportunities for parents, community members and staff members to have input as we embark on the improvement process. If you are interested in participating in a focus group, please contact me by email at pam.Campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 5926641.