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CLEAR Temp: 56 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, September 25, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 30, 2002 Old middle school buildings were already a concern By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Long before Thursday’s fire gutted parts of Eagle Point Middle School, parents and administrators worried about the safety of the aging campus. Related stories: � Eagle Point middle school burns � Start of school will wait, but maybe only a week "It was a big concern that the building was so old," said Eagle Point parent Kim Gilman, who has two students going to the middle school. "It was a great concern that 700 kids were going to go to that school." Seventh-grader Beth Leppek said, "I was in those halls yesterday (Wednesday). It is pretty scary." In 2000, voters realized something needed to be done to upgrade the middle school and other campuses. A $34 million bond paved the way for the building of two new middle schools and demolition of the current middle school. But residents in January questioned whether all of the campus should be torn down, preferring to save some of the newer buildings. Thursday’s fire decided the fate of the campus. The blaze mostly burned the older Camp White vintage sections, sparing the cafeteria and a new gym. Last winter, some residents also questioned changing the campus from a junior high to a middle school, increasing the number of students on campus. Dave McFall, project manager for the district’s new campus construction projects, said original estimates of demolishing the entire middle school were $300,000 to $400,000. He didn’t have an estimate for tearing down just the older portions of the campus. McFall said wiring in the building should meet all current codes and was routinely inspected by maintenance crews. Superintendent Bill Jones said that the fire could actually save the district money in the long run. Not only will the district avoid paying demolition costs out of bond money, but the district should also be reimbursed for supplies and materials lost to the fire. Jones said the district has been concerned about the safety of the building because it is more than 50 years old and contains asbestos in floor tiles. But he didn’t think it was a fire hazard. "If this fire had happened during school, we would have had a fire drill and everybody would have gotten out safely," he said. However, he did say firefighters discovered that many walls separating sections of buildings were not fire walls, thus allowing the flames to spread quickly. Katherine Leppek, a teacher at Little Butte School, said, "We all knew it was an old building and we were concerned about the number of students going there." Eagle Point parent Beverly Vait, who has one daughter at the middle school, said the situation could have been much worse if school had been in session. "The building was old and it was time for it to come down," she said. Jones said the district still hadn’t made a decision about what to do with the building. "Using it as a school was not an option," he said. "The building had ran its course and seen its day." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S