Changes are under way at the district's central administration building located at 1818 West Worley Street.  In a budget-neutral effort to eliminate the use of leased facilities as well as to create greater efficiencies in operations, the school district is adding 40,000 square feet to the existing administration building.

 

The addition will allow the district to eliminate the leases at two locations used for district operations--Vandiver Drive and Bernadette Drive.  This will save the district $500,000 a year in rent, and those funds will be used to pay for the district-owned addition for the course of the 26-year loan.  The district will also save a minimum of $70,000 in current utility costs due to the energy-efficient design of the addition, including a ground-source HVAC system.  Additionally, housing all district administration in one building will allow for increased communication and collaboration among employees and with district patrons.

The project also involves the renovation of the lower level of 1818 West Worley to house the Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS) department, which is also being relocated from the rented Vandiver property. Also, the upper level of the current administrative offices will be used for the Parents As Teachers program and Early Childhood Special Education offices.

 

The Board-of-Education-approved project budget is $8 million. The building, including the new addition, will house 142 employees. The new addition is scheduled for completion in July 2012.

West Junior High School and Columbia's Farmers Market will also benefit from the administration building addition.  West Junior High School will receive an improved outdoor track and practice field as a result of the construction, and trails are being built to connect the administration building's parking lot to the ARC to allow for additional parking for the Farmers Market. 



City plans to build new fitness track, field at West Junior High (Columbia Missourian, 1/17/12)
Administration building expansion will save schools money (Columbia Daily Tribune, 12/28/11)
Columbia School District administration building addition, air conditioning use different funds (Columbia Missourian, 9/13/11)

 

Exterior rendering

Lower level floor plan, new addition

Upper level floor plan, new addition

Lower level floor plan, original building

Upper level floor plan, original building

West Junior High School track and field plan