CMSD works to improve campuses conditions
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Municipal School District was working to improve the conditions of its campuses.
The school board held a special meeting to discuss the work that was needed within the district.
The Brandon Central Office where the Architecture Firm Pryor and Morrow discussed the issues with the buildings.
The board had been touring its buildings for the last several months.
It mostly boiled down to that they were not up to code, but the buildings were showing their age.
The carpets, lights, windows, and roofs in various buildings must be replaced.
Many of the doors were a fall hazard and did not meet ADA compliance rules along with the bathrooms that also did not meet those requirements.
Rust and moisture damage were an issue, the playgrounds on some campuses were flooded, and the list goes on and on.
Its largest school, Columbus High School, only has two firewalls which can be problematic.
School board members agreed that these issues needed to be taken care of to give the students a better experience.
“With any building, they age over time. And you’re going to have those pains,” said CMSD Superintendent Dr. Stanley Ellis. “So, we want to make sure our buildings are conducive to student learning. And that’s what we’re looking to do.”
“We want to take our eyes and keep them focused on our students,” said CMSD School Board President Telisa Young. “Our safety, our security, our resources, and we want to make sure we’re taking care of the needs. Every need of all of our students at all times. Those are some of the things we’re looking at. We want to be laser-focused on meeting those needs.”
The board will be working on a rough order of the magnitude of the cost, and through those findings, they hope to come to a rough estimate on Monday of how they will prioritize the needs of the students.
