NORTH BEND — Lighthouse School’s move has come to a sudden halt.

The North Bend K-8 charter school was in the midst of updating the former ACS/Xerox call center building when school director Wade Lester said construction costs became too much to bear.

The school will terminate its lease agreement with Southwest Oregon Regional Airport, he said.

“It’s disappointing this late in the game,” he said. “We’ll be looking at contingency plans and working with the district on where we can find a new home.

“As far as the ACS building goes, it’s kaput.”

The North Bend School District’s K-5 grade reconfiguration model will throw 200 more students into North Bay Elementary this fall. That population spike meant Lighthouse had to move its 220 students to a new building. The former call center was a perfect fit, though it needed to be brought up to code.

The Coos County Airport District board had agreed to lease the building to Lighthouse for $11,000 a month for 10 years. The board also agreed to remodel the building and bring it up to code for up to $500,000; Lighthouse would have had to pay for anything above that. Airport executive director Theresa Cook said estimates came in closer to $800,000.

The board approved the lease agreement two weeks ago, as well as an agreement with Tom E. Gayewski Construction Inc. to do the work. Gayewski staff were not immediately available for comment.

“Their boards will have to meet and decide they would like to terminate the agreement by a resolution,” Cook said. “Then we’ll meet to accept the (lease termination) and make a resolution to terminate the agreement.”

The airport will then begin preparing the building for another tenant.

“It’s unfortunate and disappointing that the charter Lighthouse School won’t be a tenant of the airport’s,” she said. “I know both parties were looking forward to seeing them in the facility.”

If Lighthouse were to stay at North Bay, the building would be crammed with 670 students this fall. Two double modulars and expensive renovations would be needed to accommodate that population influx.

Lighthouse has to find a new building immediately since its students’ first day of school is Aug. 20.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.