Columbus City Schools allocates dollars to work on building improvements over the summer

Columbus City Schools on Wednesday highlighted new building improvements, including new furniture, playgrounds and other upgrades funded by most of the $100 million generated annually from the levy approved by voters last November.

At Westmoor Middle School and Valleyview Elementary, located next to each other on the West Side, the district unveiled major new school improvements — a new playground, window replacements and dynamic classroom furniture that will allow students to choose from a variety of different seating options.

Westmoor principal Wendy Gittens said the upgrades were “refreshing” for a building that had been “such a heavy, dark place for so long”.

“Given the right conditions, students can thrive,” Gittens said. “Of course, the teaching is the main thing, but the environment sets the stage.”

Alex Trevino, CCS’ director of capital improvements, said the district has outgrown much of its inventory of essential improvements, such as air conditioning systems, in recent years and is now focusing on improvements “that have a much greater impact on the daily lives of our students”.

“We’d love to improve all (the schools) overnight, and it just doesn’t work that way,” Trevino said. “We have to be very intentional about how much we invest in each building.”

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Of the nearly $100 million annually that the 7.7 mill levy approved by voters last November will generate, more than $60 million a year goes toward the upkeep and maintenance of the district’s more than 110 school buildings, The Dispatch previously reported.

“Now that voters have approved our permanent improvement levy, the public can expect to see these types of investments happen every year, year after year,” Trevino said.

Part of the investment at Westmoor, among other middle schools, has been new furniture, including a variety of seating options that can meet the sensory needs of different students. These include rocking chairs, high tables and chairs, and even ground-hugging chairs.

Gittens said he has heard positive feedback from the faculty and expects students to play over the spots they like in the first two days of school.

“I think it’s going to be a fun couple of days when we get back to school,” Gittens said.

In all, the district undertook 120 capital projects this summer. For example, the district renovated the academic facilities, gym and auditorium at Mifflin High School and made improvements to classrooms and the media center at Scottwood Elementary, The Dispatch previously reported.

The district has completed 13 new playgrounds at elementary schools in the district, with bright colors and unique accessories for children to play. Trevino said there has been a backlog on playgrounds, and with new fees, the district expects to install about a dozen playgrounds each year for the next five years or so.

“Once we get caught, we’ll be able to relax a little bit,” Trevino said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dollar funding improvements for Columbus Schools buildings