Trustees direct study after members raise safety concerns about wall and settlement at Gallego Elementary

Trustees raised immediate safety concerns over settlement and structural deterioration at Don Jose Gallego Elementary School during the Sept. 4 committee meeting and asked administration to investigate and report back promptly.

Board members displayed and discussed photographs of a wall and adjacent ramp on the northwest/southwest corner of the campus where pre-K classrooms exit to a parent pickup area. Trustees said one exterior tile appeared loose, gaps and differential settlement between the ramp and doors measured several inches, and a cyclone/gate at an evacuation route was difficult to open. Facilities staff told trustees the pattern indicates soil settlement and that the district had previously commissioned limited investigations and temporary braces indoors; staff said an in-depth geotechnical study to locate subsurface voids and recommend remediation would cost about $14,000 (estimate for study only, not repairs).

Why it matters: trustees said the condition affects a pre-K classroom and is adjacent to a primary parent pickup and egress route. Several trustees urged immediate interim actions and a formal study so the district can assess safety and prioritize repairs rather than waiting for a complaint to escalate.

Action and next steps: facilities staff acknowledged prior work to brace interior finishes and reported gathering estimates for a geotechnical/diagnostic study; trustees asked administration to treat the matter as a safety priority, consider temporary relocation or alternate egress if needed, and return an update and recommended actions to the board by the Sept. 18 regular meeting.

Ending: trustees and facilities staff agreed to pursue a geotechnical evaluation and to report back to the board with findings and recommended repairs or interim safety measures; costs and any required construction work will be presented once the diagnostic study is complete.