Columbia Falls School District is asking voters to approve a $75.9 million bond to fund major renovations at Columbia Falls High School, with ballots set to be distributed beginning September 9, as first reported by flatheadbeacon.com. The measure comes after an earlier bond proposal was rejected by voters last November.
A School Built in 1958
Columbia Falls High School has stood since 1958, and the building has seen no substantial updates since the 1980s. District officials point to a range of safety and infrastructure concerns that have accumulated over decades: the structure has more than 30 entrances, no fire sprinkler suppression system, and aging electrical wiring and boiler systems.
The proposed bond would fund a broad list of improvements, including a mechanics bay, machining program facilities, a renovated theatre, relocation of the arts program, and expanded gymnasium seating. The library would also move to the first floor, a change the district describes as a cost-saving measure.
How the Costs Break Down
Property owners would carry the bond over 25 years. For a home valued at $600,000, the estimated annual cost would be approximately $321.15 at full collection — though the district’s phased approach means the initial annual tax increase would be roughly $211.64. The district plans to collect $50 million of the total through fiscal year 2028, with the remainder collected in later years.
District officials reduced the current bond ask by $9 million compared to last year’s failed proposal. They also note that a two-year building reserve levy has since rolled off taxpayer rolls, and that a new property tax code has taken effect — both factors the district says help ease the fiscal impact on local property owners.
A Volunteer PAC Steps In
A political action committee called Wild PAC formed in the spring of 2026 to build public support for the bond. The group, made up of five volunteers, is working to educate residents about the proposal — filling a role that school districts are legally constrained from filling themselves.
AuBonny Nagel, a 2003 Columbia Falls High School graduate who is involved in the effort, told flatheadbeacon.com that community-driven advocacy is typically essential for bond measures to succeed. “Historically, bonds do not pass without a PAC’s support, because the PAC can be front and center and give that information to the public without having kind of a quiet stance on it,” Nagel told the Flathead Beacon. She added that the district faces its own limitations: “The school has to be very careful not to sway votes or put a yes or a no in either direction.”
Statewide Bond Trends
The outcome in Columbia Falls will play out against a shifting statewide backdrop for school bond measures. Montana voters approved 11 of 12 bond proposals on the ballot in 2016. By 2025, that success rate had dropped considerably — voters approved only 9 of 16 bond measures that year. The tighter fiscal environment, driven in part by rising property tax concerns across the state, has made the path harder for districts seeking capital funding.
What Comes Next
Ballots will be mailed beginning September 9, with the election determining whether the district can move forward with the phased renovation plan. If approved, the first phase of construction spending would begin drawing on bond proceeds ahead of fiscal year 2028, with remaining funds collected over the following years to reach the full $75.9 million total.
For Columbia Falls residents, the vote represents a second chance at addressing infrastructure concerns that have gone unresolved for more than four decades — and a test of whether a reduced ask and changed tax landscape can shift the outcome from last November’s defeat.
