Su Valley to stay open

Borough, school district deal contingent on insurance

Sept. 2, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON\Frontiersman reporter

Nearly 200 people erupted with cheers and applause Thursday night at Trapper Creek Elementary School after the Mat-Su Borough School Board voted 6-1 in support of a resolution to open Su Valley Jr./Sr. High School for classes starting next Tuesday.

The decision comes in the wake of a previous proposal by the school district's administration to close the Su Valley school after discovering two weeks ago that the 33-year old school's roof was improperly designed to hold average snowfall for that area.

After reviewing a safety plan, which included a vigorous snow removal program developed by architecture firm BurkhartCroft, the School Board approved continued use of the school, as long as the district's insurance company agrees to provide insurance.

Uncertainty persisted Thursday night on whether the district's insurance company will accept the snow removal plan. If it backs out, Su Valley will likely have to close.

"Insurance is a concern for me," said School Board member Jeff Trotter. "I like the plan as long as we have the insurance."

The proposed plan entails hiring a private contractor to remove snow from the school's roof once a month, November through March. The architect's report assured the School Board that with regular snow removal, the school would be perfectly safe.

"While our report clearly stresses the seriousness of the original structure's snow load deficiency, it does not suggest any life safety risks or concerns beyond the issue of snow loads," the report stated.

George Troxel, the district's assistant superintendent, said he received seemingly contradictory letters from the insurance broker. One indicated that there was no problem with insurance so long as the snow is removed. The other letter, an e-mail received Thursday, indicated that the insurance company might not approve the snow-removal plan. By the close of business hours, Troxel said he still hadn't heard a final verdict.

In terms of a long-term solution, BurkhartCroft principal architect Blaze Burkhart said the district and School Board need to come up with a timeline for repairing the roof.

"I would never recommend that the long-term solution for Su Valley is this [snow] management plan," he testified before the School Board.

Roof repairs are estimated to cost about $6.4 million dollars, which is still cheaper than the $11 million it would cost to build an entirely new school.

School Board members and Borough Assembly members agreed Thursday night to work toward finding a timeline to repair the school that least affects student learning, while allowing for maximum use of the school.

Su Valley parent Sandra White was one of many area residents who testified before the board. Just before the final vote she thanked the board.

"Thank you for coming here and giving us a chance to let the public process work," she said.

Joel Davidson can be reached at joel.davidson@frontiersman .com.