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COLUMBUS – One of the hottest topics leading up to the May 4 elections was the Columbus Independent School District’s proposed bond election that would help the district fund improvements and additions to some of their schools in the district.
The bond successfully passed, leading to the next phase of their plan as they look to begin their progress on adding a Career and Technology Building for the high school and classrooms additions and improvements for the elementary school. “The administrative team in Columbus ISD is very humbled and extremely grateful for the continued support of the Columbus ISD community,” CISD Superintendent Jim Connor said, “We are a successful school district because we have always been supported by our community.”
There were two propositions as part of the bond election. Proposition A was focused on the elementary school as it would garner $8.44 million for the construction of new classrooms on the fifth-grade wing and improving the existing classrooms that have not seen significant improvement in decades.
“This outcome represents a crucial step forward in enhancing educational facilities and resources for our students,” Columbus Elementary School Principal Shana Neisner said, “The successful bond passage underscores our community’s commitment to investing in the future of our schools and ensuring that our students have access to the best possible learning environments.”
Proposition B would bring in $5.32 million to help CISD create the proposed CTE building for Columbus High School students looking to graduate with a trade specialty.
Now with both propositions passed, the school district will move on to the next step, which is the formation of the bond committee that will organize and lead the process of planning the construction and budgeting for materials and labor.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to establish the future footprint of CISD schools,” Connor said, “It is especially important the great accomplishments we can achieve when we work together...”
The bond is the first to pass since CISD initially began pushing for this type of funding in 2021. While each prior attempt to secure bond funding failed at the polls, this year’s bond passed by a strong margin as the community recognized the need for the improvements and supported the proposed bonds.
As CISD moves forward with the planning, they have assured the community that they will keep the process transparent, and that meetings with the bond committee will be subject to the Open Meetings Act. The district will look to keep the community involved and informed as the process continues.
“Our children will benefit greatly for many years to come from the results of this partnership,” Connor said.
