How will a cash-strapped district pay millions for a new elementary school?
On Tuesday, all five members of the Las Cruces Public School Board voted unanimously to demolish and rebuild Columbia Elementary at an estimated cost of $35 million.
How will they fund it?
The cost of a new elementary school
“Once we start to finalize numbers and actual costs for the actual building facility, then we’ll be able to start working on the capital piece and start looking specifically at where we’re going to find that money,” said Gabe Jacquez, the deputy superintendent for operations and leadership.
In January, board members learned funds from the New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority could cover 66% percent of the cost (not including offsite draining).
According to the district, the state will cover $21.12 and the district will cover $13.88 million.
Jacquez told ABC-7 that the district received $4 million in the 2018 bond election for Columbia Elementary before the district realized the extent of the mold. He said there is an additional $5 million from the bond in contingency funding for variables in construction. Jacquez said the bond money can be moved, if necessary.
“Our first option is always to use money set aside or earmarked for capital projects,” Jacquez said. He was not able to confirm whether the district will have to use money from reserves.
Columbia’s new location
On Tuesday night, school board members picked the administration’s recommendation, which was to build the new Columbia Elementary School on the property of Vista Middle School.
“I like the fact that we are reducing risk,” said Board President Ed Frank. “I like that we are keeping this community school together.”
The move will require no redistricting, but some parents are concerned about the traffic.
“With the congestion at Vista, it’s terrible,” said Jaime Bankston, who has children ages 10, 8 and 6 attending Columbia. “I’m a little concerned about that.”
Elementary school students in a high school environment
The board decided that five hundred elementary school students will remain at Centennial High School, until their new school is completed in an estimated two years.
“We have a concern about our students being at a high school for two years,” said Jaime Bankston. “Our fifth grader is never going to see Columbia again.”
Bussing the students from their Columbia Elementary neighborhood to Centennial High School costs thousands of dollars, Jacquez said. He couldn’t confirm exactly how much, because the routes also include other schools.
The district will also have set aside additional money for playground equipment at Centennial High School and furniture that is better sized for the young children.
Even though the situation is less than ideal, Jaime and Jeffrey Bankston say they’re not transferring schools.
“It’s very easy to say, ‘Life sucks right here. Let’s move somewhere else,'” said Jaime Bankston. “But it doesn’t teach our children to work through hard situations. It doesn’t teach our children to accept that everything isn’t always going to be perfect.”
