Columbus schools OKs $506K for building assessments

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus City Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday to approve the first district-wide building assessment in more than 20 years. 

It comes after the nearly $100 million levy was approved last month by voters.

The district will pay $506,000 to Sightlines, LLC. to help the district identify needed upgrades and prioritize the work for a multi-year capital plan.

Board president Jennifer Adair said the levy passed last month has a permanent improvement section, with $60 million a year geared towards projects like these.

The district said it is important to have this baseline data point to effectively and efficiently prioritize and plan future upgrades. 

“Fundamentally, it is critical,” Adair said. “We need strategy in order to do that, and so that means we have to fully assess our buildings, our structures so that we can put plans of action in place and allow our community to understand with transparency what is going to happen and when.”

She also added that at least 20% of the sub-contracting work will be given to a local vendor, saying the work is needed both in the short term and long term.

The district said that moving forward, the goal is for no building to go more than three years without an assessment.