Ongoing lead contamination and outdated roofs that could collapse are among the health and safety concerns at some of Evergreen Public Schools’ aging campuses, according to internal documents obtained by The Columbian.
The document, a working set of notes written by Superintendent John Steach highlighting issues at the district’s schools, points to structural flaws at district elementary schools, as well as broader and previously reported concerns about the use of portable classrooms and exterior classroom doors.
The district, which has more than 26,000 students, is asking voters to approve a $695 million school bond to replace aging schools and renovate existing buildings. The district estimates it would also qualify for $95 million in state matching funds as well as $12 million in local development impact fees, bringing the overall package to $802 million. The bond will be on the Feb. 13 ballot and must pass with 60 percent or more votes.
Bottled water
According to Steach’s notes, one of the schools targeted for reconstruction, Image Elementary School, is still giving students bottled water more than a year after discovering elevated lead levels on campus.
Initial tests reported at Image Elementary School in 2016 found that lead levels ranged from 20 to 50 parts per billion, exceeding the Washington state school rule of 20 parts per billion and federal limit of 15 parts per billion. The school was built in 1976.
While the district swapped out fixtures at the school — a common source of lead contamination — follow-up tests continued to reveal elevated lead levels at the school.
District spokeswoman Gail Spolar said in an email the lead is coming from somewhere between where the city line hits the school property and before it gets to the fixture, like a sink or water fountain.
“Thus, the pipes as they run underground to the school, into the school walls, ceiling, etc., are where the source of the lead is contained,” Spolar said.
The result is a mix of fixtures that are safe, contaminated and safe after allowing water to run for a while, a “potentially confusing combination,” she said.
“We have bagged all the fixtures and brought in bottled water stations which are at a minimal cost,” she said.
Wet snow spurs risk
Image and four other elementary schools — Sunset, Fircrest, Riverview and Hearthwood — also have an outdated roofing structure that, according to a state report, is susceptible to collapse if too much snow falls. Steach’s notes suggest there are no visible signs that the roofs are degrading.
Framejoist Corporation, a now-dissolved Bellevue company, developed state-approved prefabricated roofs in the 1970s comprised of wooden trusses with glued plywood gussets. There are no nails, screws, staples or other mechanical fasteners holding the wood together. The five listed Evergreen elementary schools are built with Framejoist’s design.
But in the Olympia School District, Capital High School’s roof, also built with Framejoist material, collapsed after a heavy snowstorm on Christmas Day 2008.
According to a 2011 report issued by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and developed by Seattle-based engineering firm PCS Structural Solutions, deficiencies in the design mean roofs built with these trusses can bear as little as half the weight once suggested.
Following the state warning, Evergreen implemented a winter roof maintenance plan warning staff to report signs of a “potential roof collapse,” including leaks, cracks or bowed utility pipes. District staff also were advised that snow, rain or ice at weights of 10 pounds per square feet or more can also put the roof at risk. About 5.8 inches of wet snow — which the report notes is “the type of snow that is typical to the Vancouver metro area” — weighs about 10 pounds per square feet, according to a table.
Retrofitting the roofs would have come with a price tag between $1.5 million and $2 million per school, Spolar said.
“It’s not just installing a bracket on each connection,” Spolar said.
The outdated structure has also prevented the district from modernizing its heating and ventilation systems at those campuses. Newer HVAC systems, installed on the roof of the building, are heavier than the systems currently operating, which can strain the roof.
Spolar noted the structural flaws refer to load on top of the roof, not the roof’s security in an event like an earthquake.
“It’s not going to be taken down by a seismic event,” she said.
Other districts
Battle Ground Public Schools had one similar roof, a truss system called Tim Joists, at Pleasant Valley Primary School and Middle School, district spokeswoman Rita Sanders said. Not long after 1975, when the school was built, a storm dumped 3 feet of snow on the roof, causing a small section of the roof to collapse over a classroom.
The roof was repaired, and additional support was added in 1988 when the state phased out the roof design.
“The district regularly checks and clears the drains from school roofs to allow the melt to drain properly,” Sanders said.
Battle Ground Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $225 million bond proposition, which would replace Pleasant Valley. That bond will also be on the Feb. 13 ballot.
Vancouver Public Schools spokeswoman Pat Nuzzo said she was unaware of school buildings in that district with trussed roofs.
Of schools with Framejoist roofs, only Image is listed as a replacement project in the school bond. According to Evergreen Public School’s bond website, “each school will see some upgrades and improvements to continue to insure the schools operate safely and securely.”
