COLUMBUS, Neb. — At its meeting on September 8, 2025, the Columbus Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education voted unanimously to place a bond question before voters to fund construction of a new grades 4–5 intermediate building.
The proposed bond totals $43.65 million and, if approved, will add capacity for 800 new students to the district. The bond election will be held as a mail-in special election on November 4, 2025.
This decision follows 14 months of study and community engagement, including surveys, focus groups, and community presentations, as well as analysis of housing and employment trends. With 1,800 new homes expected by the 2029–2030 school year—and the Vitality Village development expected to be completed by the fall 2026 — the district must plan for an increase of 500-600 additional students (K–12).
“The board and administration are constantly trying to be the best stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. But Columbus has reached a growth point where construction of a new school is necessary. With new housing developments and hundreds of additional students on the horizon, it’s our responsibility to plan ahead. The intermediate building is a smart, cost-effective solution that relieves overcrowding, maintains neighborhood schools, and ensures we’re ready for the future,” stated Mike Jeffryes, CPS Board President.
Last May, the Board took its first step toward managing this growth by closing open enrollment for the 2025–2026 school year. Elementary boundary challenges and building capacity issues continue to make neighborhood school assignments difficult.
In June, a group of CPS stakeholders—including board members, administrators, teachers, and parents—toured the 4–5 Intermediate School in Brookings, South Dakota. They returned confident that the model would provide both space and academic advantages for Columbus students.
If approved, the bond would impact taxpayers by approximately 4.5 cents on the levy, beginning with the 2027 tax year. For context, the district’s levy was $1.13 last year, is set at $1.086 for the 2025–2026 school year, and would return to $1.13 should the bond pass.
Currently, Columbus Middle School is the largest in Nebraska, with nearly 1,200 students in grades 5–8. In comparison, Norfolk Public Schools has a similar number of students split into two buildings. Moving 5th grade to a new intermediate building would provide much-needed space and allow for more age-appropriate learning environments.
This would mark the first new instructional building since Lost Creek Elementary opened in 1965 that adds student capacity without closing or consolidating existing schools.
Later this month, CPS will release results of a traffic study to guide the proposed site location. The district’s preliminary plan is to build on the north side of the Middle School campus—not connected to the existing building—to reduce infrastructure costs while providing room for a playground and outdoor learning spaces.