Arlington declares emergency at Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center after widespread dry rot, mold; board waives bidding rules

Arlington Public Schools declared a facilities emergency for the Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center (SVLC) on Tuesday after inspections in July found widespread structural dry rot and mold in multiple portable buildings. The board adopted Resolution 25-12 allowing the district to waive ordinary bidding requirements and accelerate remediation and reconstruction work.

Brian Lewis, the district's executive director of operations, told the board the problem was discovered during construction planning for previously approved capital upgrades. "We discovered that there was structural dry rot endemic throughout the buildings on the campus," Lewis said, adding that some mold was found "but it was not inside of the buildings" beyond the exterior sheathing in many cases.

Lewis explained that the original capital scope (roof and siding work, ramp replacement, heat-pump replacement and a restroom rebuild) moved to a larger repair effort after crews found degraded sheathing and exterior framing. Several portables, he said, used exterior…