School inspection program gets money for 2nd look at buildings

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 22, 2007 | by ED SEALOVER

DENVER - Colorado's school inspection program, which allowed facilities to open with numerous safety violations over the past decade, got a nearly $350,000 boost from the Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday.

A total of $271,272 will repay the Department of Labor and Employment for the cost of temporary workers who were hired this summer to re-examine 150 schools that had been given certificates of occupancy without full inspections. An additional $78,312 in supplemental funds went to the Department of Public Safety, which will hire local inspectors to do some follow-up work.

A scathing audit released in June found at least 70 violations in each of 10 school-building plans that had been approved by the department's Division of Oil and Public Safety, including inadequate sprinkler systems and a lack of firewalls. Legislative Audit Committee members charged that children's lives were put at risk by the negligence.

The Labor Department took immediate action and began re- inspections on every school permitted in 2006, including 12 in El Paso County, three in Fremont County and two in Teller County.

The second round found no major problems but uncovered several violations of state code. Falcon High School, for example, was required to fire-caulk some areas, install some fire dampers and complete one wall, according to paperwork from the department.

Money awarded Tuesday is considered a temporary fix while Labor Department leaders figure out a way to handle the inspections more effectively. A number of legislators have said they hope for changes in the law to provide greater oversight.

The Joint Budget Committee had little discussion before approving the supplemental funds, which come from undesignated money in the state budget.

"There's a need there. There's a concern. And the supplemental wasn't that great," said Sen. Abel Tapia, a Pueblo Democrat and committee chairman.

Cher Haavind, a Labor Department spokeswoman, said the department has finished all of its inspection work.

Lance Clem, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said his group has no specific time frame on completing its follow-up inspections to ensure recommended fixes have been made, but the money must be spent by June.

SECOND INSPECTIONS

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment recently re- examined 150 school facilities that did not get proper inspections before they were issued certificates of occupancy. Here are the area facilities that required a second inspection this summer:

Academy School District 20 transportation facility

Challenger Middle School, D-20

Little Red School House, Colorado Springs School District 11

Edison School, D-54JT

Banning-Lewis Ranch Charter School, Falcon School District D-49

Springs Ranch Elementary School, D-49

Meridian Ranch Elementary School, D-49

Falcon High School, D-49

Skyview Middle School, D-49

New Falcon High School, D-49

Peak Vista Fountain Clinic, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8

Florence High School, Fremont County

Canon City K-5/6-8, Fremont County

Canon City High School, Fremont County

Webster Elementary School, Widefield School District 3

Woodland Park Middle School, Teller County

Woodland Park High School, Teller County

SOURCE: Colorado Department

of Labor and Employment