Lehighton Area School District has selected Schrader Group to conduct a comprehensive masonry facade study of the elementary center, moving closer to determining the cause of structural issues that have plagued the building since its construction in 2018.

The formal agreement received unanimous school board approval Tuesday. According to Superintendent Jason Moser, site visits are expected to begin “somewhere between the second and third week of June.”

District officials reported in late 2023 that some bricks had broken loose above large bay windows on the school’s ground level.

The building opened in September 2018. The construction costs were approximately $33 million.

Phased approach

Schrader Group, per the agreement, has proposed a two-phase approach designed to minimize disruption while providing comprehensive analysis. Phase 1 involves an initial visual assessment of the building, documentation of distress locations, and review of available documents including contract drawings and specifications. This preliminary examination will be performed from ground level without scaffolding or mechanical lifts.

“Our intent is a minimalist approach, performing the assessment in multiple phases. If we don’t need to execute any destructive examination to find the answers, we won’t do that,” according to the company’s proposal.

If Phase 1 proves insufficient, Phase 2 would involve localized facade demolition and removal to observe hidden conditions.

The company noted that this phase would require coordination with the district’s schedule due to noise disruption and dust conditions that could affect student activities.

Financial structure

The study carries a total estimated cost of $18,000 to $20,000.

Phase 1 services are priced at a fixed fee of $9,000, which includes delivery of a written report if no Phase 2 work is required.

Phase 2 would add $4,000 for Schrader Group’s services, plus an estimated $5,000 to $7,000 for masonry contractor services.

Concerns

Moser previously outlined the district’s concerns during board discussions, emphasizing the need for an independent assessment.

“At the end of the day, I think it’s very important to understand what went wrong,” Moser said in January. “We probably want to be cautious about using people who were involved in doing it the first time.”

The elementary center, which combined four previous elementary schools — Shull-David, Franklin, Mahoning and East Penn — when it opened in 2018, has been under observation for structural issues for some time.

“We need an independent report so that we can try to recoup costs,” Moser said previously. “There has been a lot of communication with the original companies involved, and what happens in these cases is they point the fingers at each other, and nobody takes responsibility.”

Timeline

Upon receiving notice to proceed, Schrader Group anticipates spending one day at the project site for visual examination. Within approximately two weeks of completing the on-site examination and reviewing available documents, the firm will present findings, conclusions and recommendations from Phase 1.

If no Phase 2 work is required, a final written report will be delivered within another two weeks.

“We are very excited to be getting closer and closer to closing that loop that was here for quite a while,” Moser said.