Schools affected statewide

MEEKER I One of Meeker’s biggest 2011 stories had a ripple effect on schools across the state. Built in 2010, the $18 million Meeker Elementary School was closed to students and staff in August 2011 over concerns about structural safety.
According to Wayne Muir, president of SCI, the company that performed the structural report, the occupancy category for a school should be a III, as required by the International Building Code of 2006, but The Neenan Company designed the building with an occupancy category of I. The mistake was not recognized until Aug. 2, 2011.
Randy Myers, president of The Neenan Company, apologized to the school board and the community for the situation at a workshop held in Meeker and said the repair project is his company’s number one priority. After the report was released, other schools throughout the state that were built by Neenan conducted their own reviews, prompting demands for repairs in other places.
This week, the state Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors voted unanimously to suspend the license of the engineer who worked on the Meeker school.
The Meeker school board will reconvene Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, and make a decision to approve the suggested repair plans.
Go to page 7A to read additional Jan.-March year in review items.