Photo provided An artist’s rendition of Columbus East High School looking toward the addition.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board members on Monday authorized the district to seek bids for two building projects — a new C4 addition at Columbus East High School and renovations at Mt. Healthy Elementary School.
Both projects are part of BCSC’s ongoing Envision 2030 plan, which seeks to improve school facilities and learning environments across the school corporation.
During Monday’s board meeting, Emily Newton, a project manager and architect with CSO Architects, provided updates on the two projects, as well as planned renovations at Taylorsville Elementary School.
However, the board only voted on seeking bids for the projects at Columbus East and Mt. Healthy, approving both measures unanimously. The board is expected to consider seeking bids on the Taylorsville renovations during its next meeting, BCSC officials said.
At Columbus East, the school corporation plans to build a two-story, 22,500-square-foot C4 addition to the west side of the school between the tennis courts and current construction lab.
The project carries anticipated construction costs of around $13.2 million, with around $1.1 million in funding coming from the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI). The costs of the project are funded by the 2024-2025 lease rental and future bond funds.
The goal of the project is to expect C4 course offerings to meet student course enrollment demands in the areas of agriculture, cosmetology, construction and welding.
The first floor is expected to include, among other things, large lab spaces for construction, welding, as well as a cosmetology lab that can accommodate up to 40 students.
The second floor is expected to include an agriculture lab, agriculture classroom and mechanical space for the building’s HVAC systems.
Newton said during the meeting that design and documentation for the addition are expected to be completed this week, with bids being sought before the end of the year. Construction is anticipated to begin early next year, with the new space expected to open for the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
At Mt. Healthy, the school corporation plans to improve the learning environment, enhance safety, as well as update HVAC, electrical, and mechanical systems. It is also expected to include adding six vertical platform lifts to make the school more accessible.
Construction costs are currently estimated at around $18 million with the project’s total costs estimated at around $21 million, according to a permission to receive bids document. However, Newton’s presentation states that the estimated total budget for the project is around $22.5 million.
Newton said during the meeting that the design work for Mt. Healthy is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Construction work is expected to take 18 months and is currently estimated to be finished by the 2028 spring semester.
