Capital may reduce makeup days

By Venice Buhain | The Olympian • Published January 27, 2009

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OLYMPIA – Capital High School students might need to make up just one of the five days the school was closed earlier this month after the school's roof collapsed during heavy snowfall.

Superintendent Bill Lahmann told the Olympia School Board that he plans to ask the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to waive four of the five days that Capital was closed because of the collapse, which took out the school's library and visual communications classrooms.

The district intends to have students make up the missed day March 6, which was scheduled to be a district-wide training day for teachers. Capital seniors also would have to remain in school until graduation June 11, instead of getting out a few days before.

Lahmann said that the damage to the school's roof would be covered under Gov. Chris Gregoire's declaration of a state of emergency because of the severe winter storm that began Dec. 15. But the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will have to review and act on the district's request.

The entire district will make up the three days of school canceled just before winter break because of snow. That's means the last day of school will be June 18, instead of June 15.

The school board also learned Monday night that it could be two to three months before the cause of the roof collapse is discovered — and at least next fall before the library reopens so forensics engineers can investigate why the roof failed under the weight of the snow.

District spokesman Peter Rex said before the board meeting that the roof replacement will depend on the outcome of the engineers' tests.

Rex said the district is working with Olympia city officials and the district's insurers on how the beams that failed will be tested. District and city employees also will inspect the roof if there is a new snow fall, and the district plans to blow any snow off of Capital's roof if there's even a dusting of snow, said Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal and Operations Jim Crawford.

"Our conditional use permit says, 'No live load.' A dusting could be considered a live load," he said.

Venice Buhain covers education for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-754-5445 or vbuhain@theolympian.com.