Cracks found in school's woodwork, again

Cracks have been found in some wooden trusses at Gavin Central School, four years after broken roof supports led to lawsuits, board and community infighting, and closure of the building.

Gavin Elementary District 37 Superintendent John Ahlemeyer said cracks were found in five previously undamaged trusses -- the roof system contains 200 trusses -- during an annual inspection in early January.

Three damaged trusses were repaired, according to a letter from Legat Architects of Waukegan. Two others were not damaged enough to require action.

"There is no danger to students, and the building is safe," Ahlemeyer said Friday. "We wouldn't allow the building to remain open if it wasn't safe."

What caused the latest cracks is unclear. Legat officials did not return phone calls Friday.

The discovery threatens to scratch open wounds from 2004 when 55 damaged trusses were found, sparking two years of controversy.

"It's obvious the repair plan that was implemented two years ago did not resolve the problems with the roof, and we will continue to experience truss failures for the life of the school," said board member Connie Thorsen. "We argued to have a repair that addressed the cause of the problem, but the repair that was implemented did not do that."

District 37 board Vice President Phil Mack disagreed with Thorsen.

"They always said there would be trusses that needed to be looked at but that there would never be a problem with the building's integrity," Mack said. "The building is safe and there is no concern for students. They guaranteed that to us."

The 55 cracked trusses forced Gavin Central in Ingleside to close in 2004 and relocate students to other buildings. Board factions argued about the response -- repair and reopen the school, or demolish and rebuild.

In the end, Central was repaired by bolting steel plates over the cracks. It reopened to students in January 2006.

Legat officials never gave a reason for the truss failure. But an engineering firm hired when the first cracks were discovered claimed a design change while the school was being built in 1996 put too much stress on the truss system. Consultants hired to help with repairs claimed wood deficiencies in the trusses -- such as knots -- caused the breakage.

Ahlemeyer said the annual inspection is part of the settlement among Legat, school builder Boller Construction and the district.

"The inspection process is going to be with us for many years and just something the district and community will have to deal with," he said.

Those inspections are set to end in 2009, he said, and trusses will be inspected every five years after that.

Ahlemeyer said the district prefers annual inspections.

"The problem is that isn't part of the original litigation," he said. "But we are hoping everyone is willing to work together on the process, and so far, everyone has shown they are willing to do that."