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Board says facility project remains on track despite higher estimates, outlines cost-control steps
Summary
Board members described a multi-phase facility project and defended the district's approach after higher estimates for later phases; administrators said they are reworking designs and reusing existing structures to reduce cost while avoiding a tax increase.
The Columbia CUSD 4 board spent an extended portion of its meeting addressing community concerns about project costs and timelines for a multi-phase facility project, saying administrators are working to hold overall costs within the district's means.
"When our plans went over, the original estimate for the remodel was 78,000,000. I had to go back and look at my notes. So I mean, we've cut a third of this budget already," the Chair said, explaining the board's approach to trimming costs through redesign and reuse of existing facilities. The Chair contrasted the district's current plan with a hypothetical brand-new high school, which the Chair said had been estimated at about $180,000,000.
Administrators and board members said the district is reusing the multipurpose field, greenhouse and parking to reduce cost, and has identified potential design changes to lower Phase 2 and Phase 3 estimates without sacrificing priority spaces. "We're trying to find the most efficient ways to do these builds," one board member said, describing recent walk-throughs intended to identify alternate construction methods and more efficient space configurations.
Board members emphasized the district is not proposing a tax increase: "We're gonna stay at it, and we're gonna get the job done, and we're gonna live within our means," the Chair said. Administrators characterized the higher numbers as updated forecasts driven in part by inflation and current bidding realities rather than a final overrun that would breach the district's tax cap.
The construction update also included scheduling details: administrators reported a foundation slab pour, steel arrival expected in mid-January and increased visible structure work in January–February. They clarified that a large structure currently visible on site is a stairwell, not the elevator, and that the elevator will be located on the existing building end.
The board did not adopt new project funding measures at the meeting but said it will continue refining plans, directing staff to pursue alternatives to reduce projected costs and to report back as design revisions progress.
