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Las Cruces district confirms phased reopening dates for Columbia Elementary, schedules July open house
Summary
Las Cruces Public Schools officials said Columbia Elementary’s phased reopening remains on schedule: phase 1 move-in on July 16, full building access on Aug. 26 and a final off-site portion expected by late December. The district announced a family open house for July 24 and described staffing and site preparations.
Las Cruces Public Schools announced July 16 as the district’s Phase 1 move-in date for the newly modernized Columbia Elementary School, with Phase 2 access to the full building scheduled for Aug. 26 and a Phase 3 off-site completion anticipated in late December (Dec. 25, per contractor target). Superintendent Ruiz and district staff told the board the schedule remains on track and that crews are finishing landscaping, playgrounds and interior work.
District project staff showed drone and interior images and described the Phase 1 footprint as the main classroom wings, security vestibule, front entry and bus loop. Staff said furniture assembly is underway and that key systems — restrooms, media center, kitchen walk-in coolers and the performing-arts area — will be ready for Phase 1 or Phase 2 as noted. The fifth-grade playground remained under construction in the most recent drone footage, while other playgrounds and exterior paving were reported complete.
Why this matters: the phased opening affects when students, teachers and families will access different parts of the campus and when after-school and extracurricular spaces open. The district said it has scheduled teacher move-in supports and physical-plant checks so rooms and restrooms are stocked and ready when staff arrive.
On staffing, the district reported it retained five formerly assigned Columbia staff members and one part-time employee from the original campus; district recruitment and lateral-transfer processes filled most vacancies with certified and support hires. District leaders said one certified vacancy remained at the time of the meeting and that weekly communication with HR would track kindergarten enrollment and additional staffing needs.
The district invited families to a “Liftoff to Learning” open house from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, where community members can tour the building ahead of the school year; a fuller community event is planned for October. School leaders said they will display historical memorabilia — plaques and NASA-donated autographed items — related to the Columbia space shuttle in a secure location on campus.
District staff also thanked community partners and contractors for completing paving and protecting interior finishes during final work. Superintendent Ruiz and board members noted the work aims to limit disruption from recent monsoons and complete landscaping before the July move-in.
Looking ahead, staff said they will continue to monitor deferred items (fifth-grade playground, off-site retention work) and will report back if dates shift.
