School Board Reviews Seismic Report for Schools

The will meet at 6 p.m. tonight in the school district administration board room for a special meeting to continue a review of recommendations to rebuild several local schools over the next decade.

School Board directors will first review a seismic report prepared by Seattle-based PCS Structural Solutions on six buildings owned by the Mercer Island School District. Citizens serving on the 21st Century Facilities Planning Committee to rebuild four of those: , , and (Click the attached PDF on the right to review tonight's agenda).

The other two buildings, the North Mercer Day Care Building and Gymnasium, currently houses , and the .

The report anticipates that, in an "extreme earthquake event" (a 2 percent probablity in 50 years), all but one of the school buildings would be damaged beyond repair, and the south classroom area of the North Mercer Performing Arts/Gymnasium "has the potential for collapse."

The School Board will also consider cost estimates per square-foot for the proposed schools; and whether the current buildings should be demolished and rebuilt on the existing footprint (requiring a "swing school" facility) or built elsewhere on the same property while the existing school building is used.

No public comments are scheduled at this time.