Board urged to approve $69,955 auditorium rigging repairs after safety assessment

Facilities staff told the committee that the auditorium’s original manila/hemp ropes and some improperly installed roadblocks are no longer compliant with current ANSI standards and recommended replacing those elements with modern cable and hardware.

The district said Sapsus Rigging provided an updated proposal of $69,955 to complete the back‑wall rigging and related repairs; a second vendor based in Pittsburgh quoted $99,800. Facilities staff said the work could be done after school ends and estimated it could be completed in a matter of weeks during summer break.

Bob Ramsey, a business teacher and the high school's stage director, told the board the auditorium’s use has "easily tripled" since 2017 with rentals and school productions, and pressed for a maintenance schedule that avoids a single large bill and prioritizes safety. He said students operate the fly rails for performances and that those ropes currently "are holding hundreds of pounds of weight" above the stage.

Board members asked about immediate safety concerns; Ramsey said he did not believe the situation required emergency action today but urged the board to complete the repairs before the next performance season. Staff recommended adding curtain treatment or certification work at the same time if the board approves the rigging contract.

Next steps: facilities staff asked that the district place the Sapsus Rigging proposal on the agenda for approval as a summer project if the board wishes to proceed. No formal contract award was recorded in the transcript excerpt.