Las Cruces parents grill school board on future of Columbia Elementary
Parents, teachers and staff grilled the Las Cruces Public School Board on the future of Columbia Elementary School following the discovery of mold in at least six classrooms.
“You need to stop lollygagging around and make a decision,” said Jeffery Bankston, a parent of a ten-year-old, eight-year-old and six-year-old.
“It is not just an inconvenience,” said Dawna Bleimeyer, who has a six-year-old. “It’s an intrusive disruption.”​
“There hasn’t been one mistake; there hasn’t been two mistakes,” admitted Ray Jaramillo, the board member for district one. “There has been decades of mistakes.”​
Options for the future of the school (updated January 22nd), according to new data from Deputy Superintendent Gabe Jacquez:
Total Cost District Cost State Cost OPTION 1 – Remodel the school on existing site $12 million
$6.2 million
$5.7 million OPTION 2 – Demolish the school and rebuild on existing site $35 million
$14.5 million
$20.4 million OPTION 3 – Demolish the school and rebuild on new site $34 million
$11.6 million +
cost of land
$19.8 million
“Any mold is a threat,” said Bobby Stout, the executive director of the district’s Physical Plant Department, in September. “Not just to students, but also teachers and administration.”
In September, the district discovered the mold in the classrooms and closed down the building, relocating almost 500 elementary school students to Centennial High School temporarily.
“Our high school is fantastic and it’s a great temporary home for us, it’s just not built for little ones,” said Victoria Franks, the school’s assistant principal. “My own son will be missing half of his elementary career because he is at a high school right now.”
On September 18th, the school board was perplexed at how to repair the school, which one board member called a “money pit.”
“It ain’t nothing new,” said Andy Pantoja in September, who has a grandchild at Columbia Elementary School. “Before the school even opened, it was flooded.”
The district has already invested $263,000 into repairs over the last fifteen years.
“Basically, it’s a money pit,” said Terrie Dallman in September, the board member for district two. “We just want to get it right.”
