A walk through the Scotts Valley High School campus this week shows a sight that has been all too familiar to students, parents and administrators since the school was built in 1999:
More construction.
However, this summer’s work is nearly complete, and the school’s leaders are working to wrap up the final few jobs that resulted from lawsuits against 42 contractors who built the school.
“I’m anxious for it to be behind us, because it’s been exhaustive,” Principal Gregg Gunkel said.
The district sued the contractors for $30 million in damages, which resulted in $11.2 million awarded by the courts.
After paying court costs and attorney fees for the 6½-year legal battle that ended in 2007, the district netted $5.6 million to repair the faulty work at the high school.
Since late 2005, work has been ongoing on campus.
The district has removed mold from modular buildings, repaired heating and cooling systems, installed energy-efficient lighting in classrooms and the gym, upgraded the fire-alarm system to meet code requirements, built drainage, repaired the bleachers, repaired a wheelchair lift in the student union and renovated the weight room.
This summer’s projects were major undertakings:
• Paths around the school were torn up and repaved to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The original construction had many walkways sloping on two planes, whereas ADA requirements call for walkways to slope at only a single plane to ensure ease of access, Gunkel said.
“The nature of the disabilities modifications is sometimes very subtle,” he said.
Contractor Ralph Larson is completing the $1.28 million fix.
• The shade pavilion in the quad area was completed.
• Additional lighting was added to the campus. “We have a much better-lit campus, Gunkel said. “Many of our dark spots are going to be corrected.”
• Repairs to the gymnasium roof are also in progress.
“The roof of the gym building has leaked from the get-go,” school district Superintendent Susan Silver said. “We think we’re finally finished with that.”
Construction manager John Waite is completing the $140,000 repair.
• Construction crews are also bringing on-campus bathrooms into ADA compliance. Some of the stalls are half an inch too small and need handrails. The district plans to complete the fixes next summer.
When school starts Aug. 26, school officials say nearly all the work will be finished.
“We are assured it will be nearly completed (by the first day of school),” Gunkel said. “There may (still) be a few areas they direct traffic around.”
