UPDATE: School board approves land purchase for new school

The Columbia Board of Education approved the purchase of 26 acres of land east of town Monday night.

Columbia Public Schools plans to build a new elementary school in the Vineyards neighborhood.

Board president James Whitt told ABC 17 News he liked the location because of its walkability for nearby residents in the growing part of town. At more than $800,000 for the land, Whitt said the option off Route WW and Rolling Hills Road was cheaper than many other options presented.

The new school is the district’s move to solve overcrowding at Cedar Ridge elementary, the school already serving east Columbia.

“It’s part of our long range plan to work and eliminate trailers and address growth,” said Michelle Baumstark with Columbia Public Schools.

She also said the district looked at more than twenty different properties for about a year.

“I think one of the biggest pushes is the location of infrastructure close to the property,” said Baumstark.

Several people who live in the Vineyards said they are less than thrilled with the idea of a school being in their neighborhood.

One man said he wouldn’t have moved there if he knew they would be building a school down the road from him.

Another neighbor said she likes the idea of having a school nearby, but the traffic flow makes her uneasy about the situation.

She said the road in front of her house has been fixed once already and doesn’t think the buses and increased traffic will make it any better.

As part of the purchase, the City of Columbia will perform a traffic study in the area.