Series on Dade County's Crumbling School Buildings

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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/5621641.htm

Sun, Apr. 13, 2003

Water leaks plague schoolsProblems found in new buildingsBY DEBBIE CENZIPERdcenziper@...

A Miami-Dade County schools investigation has overwhelmingly confirmed what principals, architects and district-building inspectors have long suspected: Water leaks have infected almost every new school and addition built in recent years.

All but one of 78 new buildings have leaks, and almost half have developed mold and mildew, which can taint indoor air quality and cause illness, according to recently completed reports by two consulting firms hired by the school system.

So far, engineers have determined that sloppy construction probably caused leaks in 14 schools. In the remaining schools, where water is seeping in through walls, roofs, air-conditioning units, doors and windows, the district is still trying to pinpoint fault.

A Herald investigation last month reported that the district's top construction staff knew of the defects for years.

Since the late 1980s, school system building inspectors documented flaws during the construction of schools, from leaking windows to uneven stairwells to new roofs pierced by construction equipment and trash. Despite the warnings, the district accepted the buildings, moved in children and teachers and paid millions to contractors and architects.

About 40 of the buildings are new schools that cost about $800 million to build.

Now, the School Board faces paying millions more in repairs. And that's probably just the start -- the district has not yet investigated possible structural, electrical or safety deficiencies.

It will cost the district about $780,000 just to study the water intrusion -- enough money to give 2,080 second-year teachers the $375 raises they have been fighting for.

`CHECKS AND BALANCES'

''What are we, one of the largest school systems in the nation? For the sake of our children, the school system should have had better checks and balances,'' fumed , Parent Teacher Association president at the 2-year-old Eugenia B. Elementary in Doral, where engineers found window leaks, crumbling dry wall and mold.

Principal Lucille Verson said she did not know about mold or mildew problems on campus. She said there were leaks when the building first opened, but many have been fixed.

Other principals, however, say leaks started with the first rain and have not stopped.

In a new building at Ben Sheppard Elementary in Hialeah, maintenance crews have replaced water-soaked drywall three times since the school opened in 1997. Still, water pours in.

''I think somebody needs to do their homework,'' Principal Henry Haddon said. ``The people that are building these schools ought to know what they are doing.''

For years, the School Board used some of the same problem companies to build schools.

Since 1988, when it launched its massive school-construction program, the district has given more than $228 million in repeat business to at least 21 contractors who delayed jobs, turned in bad work or failed to finish projects.

District staffers cite a state law that once required school systems to hire the lowest responsible bidder for construction jobs. But the district could have rejected contractors who bungled projects.

Four years ago, the district started ''prequalifying'' contractors, meaning factors such as work experience and past performance were used to determine if companies could compete for construction jobs.

Yet a few companies are still on the district's approval list even though they built many of the leaking schools and have turned in construction projects racked by delays and disputes.

Of the 14 schools where engineers have determined sloppy construction is to blame, six were built by three companies still approved to do tens of millions of dollars in construction work.

District officials say determining who is at fault for botched jobs -- architects who design schools, contractors who build them or district staff who oversee them -- can be difficult.

MORE TESTING

The school system is preparing to do more testing in the leaking schools and planning to prioritize the repair work. The district also may take legal action against some of the responsible architects and contractors.

Some may no longer be allowed to work for the school system, said Pennington, whose office helps manage the district's construction litigation.

The water investigation, completed this month by MIA Consultants and PBS & J, studied schools and additions primarily built in the mid- to late 1990s.

Pennington said many of the leaks can be fixed quickly, by sealing a window or patching a roof.

In some schools, however, the district will probably have to hire architects and contractors to redo roofs, walls and windows.

Hevia, executive director of school construction, said Florida's wet and humid weather contributes to the leaking and mold problem.

''My house, I built an addition and it leaked,'' Hevia said. ``We've done a hell of a good job [building schools], but nobody understands it.''

The water intrusion study comes at a time when legislators, parents and a state-appointed oversight board continue to criticize the School Board's ability to manage its construction program.

Last month, the oversight board recommended stripping the board of its authority to build schools and creating an independent construction authority.

see the series:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/education/5174472.htm