District Seismic Retrofitting Initiatives

Maintaining safe school facilities has always been a priority in the Castro Valley public schools. Part of our ongoing effort is to ensure that classrooms and other campus buildings are prepared to withstand the effects of earthquakes. We also conduct disaster preparedness drills and have earthquake supplies ready at every school site. In addition, the district meets some of the highest standards in the construction industry whenever we seismically retrofit and modernize any of our schools. California’s earthquake standards for schools that have been on the books for decades are much tougher than those imposed on other public or private entities. In the event of a major earthquake, children and staff may be safer in our school buildings than in other areas of our community.

Over the past couple of weeks there have been numerous news articles regarding seismic concerns for Bay Area schools.  The articles are based on an evaluation of seismic performance of school buildings done by the State Department of General Services, Division of the State Architect (DSA) in 2002.  The DSA work took original construction documents, age of buildings, and their proximity to earthquake faults into consideration. DSA then produced a list of school buildings which might not perform well in a major earthquake. Four of Castro Valley’s schools were on this original list.

This fact sheet provides a chronology and update of seismic retrofitting actions taken by the Castro Valley Unified School District in response to this state report.

Castro Valley Board of Education takes proactive stance on seismic retrofitting

·         In the Fall of 2002, the Division of the State Architect listed 7,500 schools in California that are of concern for seismic safety based on original school plans and proximity to a fault zone.

·         Recent news reports indicate that only 10% of the districts with schools on the list have contacted the state to determine if they have schools identified. Castro Valley was one of these districts. In January of 2003, the Castro Valley School Board requested the information from the state department. Four of Castro Valley’s 14 campuses were listed in the state report:  Proctor, Creekside, Redwood, and Vannoy. 

·         After examining that state report, the CVUSD School Board decided the state evaluation was not sufficient and ordered a seismic review that was completed in May 2005.  The district’s review identified five other schools in need of classroom building retrofitting: Chabot, Stanton, CVE, Marshall and Independent. Though this report indicated that many district buildings would not withstand a catastrophic earthquake, the likelihood of such an event, coupled with the historical data that our buildings have faired well in numerous earthquakes over the past 40-50 years, led the district to prioritize the district’s safety needs.  This became a significant impetus for the 2005 bond referendum.

·         In November 2005, voters approved Measure B which provided $44 million for school facility improvements including: 

Ø  $12 million to help meet 21^st century instructional needs (modernization).

Ø  $17 million to upgrade school and classroom safety and security including:

§  $14 million in seismic upgrades

§  $3 million for campus-wide security (lighting, key systems, fencing and surveillance)

Ø  $15 million to provide and renovate athletic and physical education facilities.

·         The CVHS stadium bleachers, track and field were a significant safety hazard that required immediate correction. The stadium serves as a classroom for physical education instruction and additionally is used by many students and is widely used by organizations in our community. Stadium renovation plans were in the final stages at the time the Measure B bond was passed. 

·         Measure B also set accountability requirements that included the formation of a Citizens Oversight Committee (COC).  This committee is charged with making an annual report to the public about the management and expenditures of the 2005 bond funds, making physical inspections of funded projects, reviewing financial and performance audits prepared by an independent auditor, and reporting to the Board on activities of the committee.

·         It was the district’s judgment that we should work to correct the most serious seismic threats first. In 2006, seismic retrofitting occurred with the schools remaining to be modernized.  Stanton, Chabot, Redwood, and Creekside. In determining seismic retrofitting priorities within the district, our structural engineering firm considered 2003 seismic evaluation standards, the type of construction of each building, and how close the building was to a fault. With the exception of Creekside, these schools are located closest to the Hayward fault.

·         The skyrocketing cost of construction in recent years has adversely affected public and private entities. As a result, many construction companies have even been reluctant to place bids in this environment. The net effect is that our bond funds were not enough to cover the escalating costs of all proposed projects, including the planned seismic retrofitting.  Consequently, the district has not yet been able to complete all of the projects envisioned by Measure B, including seismic retrofitting every campus. 

·         In this environment, the district has consistently sought alternative funding sources for upgrading structures.  In 2006, the state passed a school construction bond of $10.4 billion which included only $200 million to reimburse districts for seismic upgrades. CVUSD has applied for reimbursements totaling $1.1 million for seismic work, but has not yet received word on reimbursement from the state. In addition, the District has applied for state reimbursement of several million dollars for other work that has been completed. If those funds are finally made available by the state, they can be used for seismic safety projects in our remaining schools.

·         It is important to emphasize that all Castro Valley District schools were built in accordance with the State Building Code in effect at the time of the construction and approved for all code and safety considerations by the Division of State Architects.  As knowledge and understanding of seismic activity grows, the application of that knowledge creates an obvious financial challenge as we continue to sustain our commitment to make schools safer.

Summary

The District places student and staff safety as a priority.  It is to this end that we have been proactive in our efforts to secure additional funding and begin work on several safety and seismic issues well beyond what is the norm across the state of California.

Significant seismic work has been completed already in our district. Four schools (Stanton, Chabot, Redwood, and Creekside) have been retrofitted.  Important seismic work remains to be addressed at five other schools and will be undertaken as resources become available.  Planning for this work will commence upon receipt of reimbursement of state funds.  The District expects the state funds within the year, but does not control the timing. Given the state’s uncertain fiscal situation, it is unclear exactly when we can expect payment by the state. In the interim, the District will continue its on-going efforts to aggressively pursue additional funding sources.