Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of the area next to Westside Community Church where Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation is considering building a 12th elementary in Columbus, Ind., pictured on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board has authorized school officials to issue up to $306 million in bonds for several facility upgrades.
The school board voted on Monday to adopt a project resolution, preliminary determination resolution and reimbursement resolution for BCSC’s “Envision 2030” facilities plan. The vote was 6-1, with Jason Major voting against the resolution.
Major said that while he recognizes the need for renovations, he does not agree with certain aspects of the proposal and is concerned by the overall amount.
“I think that this is a very big deal,” he said. “This is an extreme amount of money.”
BCSC officials have proposed the following projects as part of the “Envision 2030” plan:
- A new westside elementary school.
- Renovations to remaining elementary schools (excluding Parkside and Schmitt, where work is already underway).
- Significant renovation at Northside Middle School and tech/equipment updates at Central Middle School.
- Additions and renovations to both Columbus North and East high schools to meet career and technical education demands.
- Physical education/extracurricular expansions at the two high schools to meet demands.
- Relocation of Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center to the R.L. Johnson Building, relocation of Columbus Virtual Pathway to the McDowell Education Center, and relocation of C4 Cosmetology to expanded space at East.
School officials have said that the projects are needed for a variety of reasons, such as growth on the city’s west side, a desire for updated learning environments and student demand for certain courses. They have also said that BCSC plans to avoid raising tax rates by timing debt from the new projects with the roll-off of existing debt.
While the school corporation had previously floated the idea of seeking a capital referendum for the work, the administration is no longer recommending this.
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
