Columbia Public Schools’ 10-year facilities plan is nearing the end of its planning stage.
The Columbia School Board discussed the master plan Monday, specifically the possibility of a $260 million school bond issue landing on the April ballot, a recommendation from the Finance Committee.
Chief Operating Officer Lazell Ofield presented the board with two versions of the bond that the Finance Committee considered at its last meeting, with both amounting to the same sum, but with different timelines.
Under the first option, the district would ask voters for the $260 million bond issue in April to complete the first part of the plan, asking voters for another $110 million in 2033 for the second half of the plan.
The other option, which the committee rejected at its meeting, would split the costs of the first phase into two parts. The district would ask voters for a $150 million bond issue in April and a $110 million bond issue in 2030, both for the first phase of the plan. Then, voters would be asked to approve a $110 million bond issue in 2033 for the second phase of the plan.
Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur said when the board votes on the bond issue, there could be more options than these two versions.
“There are a variety of numbers above, below and in between that the board could certainly consider and discuss,” Superintendent Jeff Klein said.
Finance Committee Chair Paul Wagner said while he originally recommended the version that asked voters for a $260 million school bond issue, he would be open to other options for the ballot.
Wagner said his decision will ultimately depend on what the community wants.
“I think we can still have a lot that we can learn about what we really think might be best,” Wagner said. “I’m looking forward to the next listening session and seeing what we hear from the community.”
The last community open house is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Gentry Middle School cafeteria, 4200 Bethel St.
A-F district grade cards
The board was given a presentation on Missouri’s new A-F grade card system for districts, which was met with reluctance from board members.
Joe Lauchstaedt, the executive director of assessment, intervention and data for the district, explained how the new system would apply to Columbia.
Under the new system, decided by Gov. Mike Kehoe in January, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will provide annual grade cards for public school districts and charter schools, rating them on an A-F scale based on student outcomes.
The new system functions alongside existing achievement assessments, such as the annual performance report for educator preparation providers. Much of the data from the grading card is the same as the APR, Lauchstaedt said.
Specific data from the district’s 2026-27 school year was not available, as this year’s report has been delayed. The presentation used data from the 2024-25 annual performance report.
An “A” on a district report card is 90% or above. That district would be described as producing excellent student outcomes.
A district given an “F” falls below 55%, meaning that district is failing to produce student outcomes, according to board documents.
When 65% of schools in the state earn an A or B grade, the threshold for A, B, C and D increases by five percentage points in the following school year.
“We’re not looking for perfection, we’re looking for high amounts of growth,” Klein said.
Board member Suzette Waters expressed concern over the new grading system.
“This does not appear to be a system that is evaluating how good our schools are,” Waters said.
Mission statement
Also Monday, the board unanimously approved a revised policy on the district’s mission statement.
The biggest change to the policy was replacing the vision statement. It now states: “Our vision is to empower every student to thrive.”
Under the old policy, the district’s vision was to be the best district in the state. Under the revised policy initially presented, the vision statement was to empower every student to thrive in college, career and life.
However, multiple board members raised concerns during the meeting that not every student in the district goes to college, and said they think it’s important to have a vision statement every student can connect with.
Board President John Lyman moved that the vision statement be shortened to “empower every student to thrive” in order to be inclusive to all students in the district.
School Board candidacy
Two seats on the board, currently held by Alvin Cobbins and Paul Wagner, will be up for grabs in the April 6 municipal election.
Board secretary Noel McDonald presented the board with candidacy filing information ahead of the election.
The filing process begins at 8 a.m. on Dec. 15 at the Aslin Administration Building and ends at 5 p.m. Jan. 27.
According to Missouri law, anyone interested in running must file for candidacy in person. Filing will not be accepted during the weekends, when the district is closed for holidays or when the district is closed for inclement weather, McDonald said.
The Aslin Administration Building, located at 1818 W. Worley St., will be the only filing location for candidates.
According to board policy BBBA-2, to qualify for the board, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- A voter within the Columbia Public Schools district who has lived in Boone County for at least one year
- A taxpayer in the district who has paid taxes in the past 12 months
- At least 24 years old
For further information on candidate filing, you can contact Noel McDonald at nmcdonald@cpsk12.org.
Board member April Ferrao said anyone interested in running can reach out to board members directly if they have questions.
