Laredo ISD orders structural review of Gallego Elementary; trustees say special meeting likely after report

A structural engineer has been contracted to complete a final report on safety concerns at Gallego Elementary, Laredo ISD Assistant Superintendent Angel Velasquez told trustees Monday.

Velasquez said the district issued a purchase order to a structural engineer and expects the final findings and recommendations by the end of the week or by the following Monday. "We already produce[d] a purchase order. We issued the purchase order to the engineer, and he's in the process of, like, preparing the final report on the findings and recommendations," Velasquez said.

Board members said they want to review the engineer’s findings quickly. Trustee Juan Ramirez asked that, if the report indicates immediate repairs or safety measures, the board convene a special committee so trustees can act without delay. "As soon as we get those findings from the engineers, we need to call a special committee so we can go ahead and address that so we don't delay in case we need to have some action," one trustee said.

Velasquez did not provide further details about the nature of the structural concerns in the meeting. He said the report will contain findings and recommendations and that the district will return to trustees with options for resolving the issue.

Trustees did not take formal action during the meeting. The district will circulate the engineer’s report to trustees once it is received and schedule follow-up as warranted.