more was needed the old columbia school could no longer safely accommodate the student population a magnificent new structure was planned the design process was unique in that the faculty and all members of the staff participated by submitting sketches drawn to scale of the facilities necessary to satisfy their needs in  construction began on the present columbia high school building work was completed in september  in time for the fall term so well designed was this building that two years later its floor plan was described and pictured in the encyclopædia britannica in an article describing ideal american schools