Columbia Falls’ $84.8 Million High School Bond Bid Fails at Ballot Box

The Columbia Falls School District’s bid for an $84.8 million bond for high school renovations and an expansion didn’t pass muster with voters Tuesday.

“We came up a little short,” Superintendent Cory Dziowgo said Wednesday morning.

According to preliminary, unofficial results from Tuesday night, 68% of voters cast their ballots against the measure. A total of 4,617 ballots were tallied on the school bond ask.

If passed, it would have provided funds for the high school’s first significant renovations in 30 years to address safety challenges, increase the school’s capacity and provide enhanced career and technical programming options to students.

The district has engaged in a years-long effort to bring its schools into the modern age. The high school would have been the last building to receive that treatment.

Dziowgo said the district looks forward to conversations about what might come next in the wake of the bond’s failure. He thanked Columbia Falls citizens for “taking time to learn about the remodel bond.”

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A timeline on the conversations about next steps remains uncertain. Dziowgo said the district wants to approach its funding strategy thoughtfully, while keeping the focus on bringing the building up to date in terms of safety and 21^st century learning.

“The needs aren’t going away,” Dziowgo said. “There still remain issues in the building, and we care about the school, the community and kiddos.”

For now, taxpayers will continue to pay on the district’s two-year building reserve levy, which replaced the high school’s roof after an investigation discovered extensive water damage and safety concerns. That levy will come off taxpayer rolls in 2026.

Voters across Flathead County did approve a $105 million bond for a new jail Tuesday.

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