Officials: Hawthorn Woods schools are safe to open
Classes will begin as planned next Tuesday at two Hawthorn Woods schools undergoing structural repairs, Lake Zurich Unit District 95 officials said Wednesday.
Roughly 50 parents attended a meeting Wednesday night to hear updates on the structural issues at the joint-campus of Spencer Loomis Elementary School and Middle School North.
Despite repeated assurances, some parents said they were not entirely convinced the two buildings are safe for students to return.
District officials recently discovered structural problems with the roof and wall anchors at the five-year-old Loomis School. Repair work to correct that has been completed and workers are putting on the finishing touches, officials said.
Similar problems identified with the roof/wall and floor/wall connections at the four-year-old Middle School North also were being fixed this week. Inspection of the stairwells at both schools revealed inadequate vertical steel reinforcement of masonry walls in the two-story portion of the schools. The district authorized emergency repair work to fix that problem.
There is still additional steel reinforcement work that remains to be done at the middle school, which will be completed when students are not there.
Representatives with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc., an independent forensic engineering firm hired by the district to investigate the structural issues, said both schools are safe to open with one condition: the band/orchestra rooms at the middle school remain restricted until permanent repairs can be completed.
"Priority repairs have been completed except the band/orchestra area," said Kevin Kalata, senior associate with the firm. "We are trying to bring the structure back to the original design, or as close as possible."
The firm recommended the band and orchestra rooms not be occupied when winds exceed 35 mph.
District 95 Superintendent Brian Knutson said officials decided not to use that area of the middle school entirely.
One parent questioned the life expectancy of the two schools and was assured years were in store.
"Typically, for this type of construction, you are looking at a 30-, 40-, 50-year service life and often times it exceeds that," said John Duntemann, also with the independent engineering firm. "The simple answer will be 50 years, but buildings can last for a long time provided that they remain functional."
Duntemann said Illinois schools are subject to inspection every 10 years after construction, responding to one parent's query. He added there were inspections performed before the schools opened.
"Obviously, there were some things that were not identified in those inspections," Duntemann said.
Asked if the firm thoroughly inspected all areas of the schools, Kalata said no.
"I can't come out and say that we have looked at everything," he said. "There are some things that are hidden within walls. If there is no reason to believe there is a problem, there are some things that aren't really feasible without destroying the school. We have looked at all areas of the masonry walls. Every stone hasn't been turned."
District 95 may be roughly $2.5 million in the hole after making the needed repairs at those two newer schools, and correcting problems at Lake Zurich High School's Performing Arts Center and field house.
"We are currently heading toward the $2 million mark," said Mary Kalou, District 95 assistant superintendent for business and operations. "The district is funding this. We hope to recapture these funds through litigation."