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Harlandale ISD staff report crack at Gilbert Elementary; district to seek engineering study
Summary
District staff told trustees they discovered a sizeable crack at Gilbert Elementary and plan to commission an engineering report before deciding on repairs or bidding construction work; temporary relocation of administrative spaces is among options under consideration.
Harlandale ISD staff briefed trustees on June 10 about structural concerns at Gilbert Elementary and said they will seek an engineering evaluation before pursuing repairs.
"There are some cracks in the right hand side of the campus as you're facing the campus in the front area," said Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Mister Flores, who told the board the crack is large enough to cause safety concerns for staff and students. He said maintenance first flagged the issue and a contractor recommended obtaining a formal engineer's report "because the liability of... doing a repair without the guidance of an engineering firm" would be too great.
Trustees asked staff about contracting options and whether the district has a preapproved list of architects and engineers. "We have a list of the architects that were solicited a few years back," Flores said, and staff indicated the district could contract through purchasing cooperatives or issue a new RFQ to solicit engineers specifically for the Gilbert work.
Miss Casey, who worked at Gilbert during prior construction, described visible separation between rooms: "You can actually see from one room into the next through the seam of the corner of a room." Trustees recalled early construction delays from the original contractor and asked about potential liability; one trustee noted a statute of repose of about 15 years was a possible factor in assessing claims.
District staff said the affected area currently houses administrative offices and one classroom that does not have students, and emphasized they will present options and price estimates to the board after receiving the engineering report. "We can pivot, you know, if it's going to cost us... we can pivot and move some people," Mister Sotto said, noting temporary relocations may reduce exposure while work is planned.
No formal action was taken during the work session; staff characterized the item as informational and said the board would be provided cost and repair options once the engineering assessment is complete.
