A roof collapse at Friendswood High School during its renovation has been attributed to an omission in the demolition plans.
“The roof collapsed following the removal of a load-bearing wall that was supporting the roof and which had not been identified as a load-bearing wall in the demolition plans,” stated Superintendent Thad Roher.
Following the incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted an investigation, after which it “released the site back to the District and its contractors.” Superintendent Roher stated that the District is now working to “satisfy the requirements put in place by the City of Friendswood to re-open the buildings for staff on August 7th and students on August 15th.”
The district has enlisted the help of an independent forensic engineering firm to review the demolition and construction plans for the rest of the project. Roher said, “FISD has hired an independent forensic engineering firm to do a peer review of the demolition and construction plans for the remainder of the project.”
In addition, the district has added oversight for the remainder of the project. “FISD also has a certified project manager on-site at FHS, who will provide a heightened level of quality assurance and quality control oversight for the remainder of construction activities,” Roher said.
Regarding the completion of essential repairs, Roher stated that “we aim to complete all essential repairs and improvements before the school year’s commencement, guaranteeing a safe environment for everyone.”
The Superintendent promised further updates as August 1st approaches.
Roher concluded his letter by stating, “Our top priority is to create a safe and secure learning environment for all students, teachers, and staff members and to end with amazing facilities to serve the deserving students, staff, and community of FISD. Once again, we ask for your grace, space, and understanding during this year.”
