Las Cruces Public Schools News Release
Columbia Elementary School, which closed in late 2018 due to a mold infestation, is one step closer to becoming a brand-new school in the Las Cruces Public Schools district. Demolition of the building on Elks Drive was in full swing the week of March 28, with parts of the building already leveled, LCPS said in a news release.
“Years of thoughtful planning went into this process,” said LCPS Superintendent Ralph Ramos, who stepped into the lead role at the district just as plans for Columbia Elementary were finalized by the LCPS Board of Education. “It hasn’t come without some hardships, but our Columbia family will soon be together again in the same location.”
Sandoval Construction began gutting the building in mid-March. After the interior work was complete, heavy equipment began the tear-down of exterior walls. Construction of the new school, which will be on the same Elks Drive location, is scheduled to start in July 2023 and will accommodate 752 students – an increase from the 550 students it served when the school closed three years ago. State Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC) funding will pay for a portion of the cost to build the new school.
Demolition is expected to wrap up by October. The planning and design phase will follow, with an expected completion date of April 2023, LCPS said.
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