Lawrence school board to vote on new inspection plan

The Lawrence school board will vote at its Monday meeting on whether to approve a plan for the city to take over building inspections for the bond construction projects that have yet to begin.

The six schools that would undergo the city permit and inspection process — Pinckney, Deerfield, Schwegler, Sunflower, Broken Arrow and Prairie Park elementaries — are scheduled to begin construction in the spring.

Attention was drawn to the inspection process for the district’s 21 bond construction projects after a child was severely injured at the construction site of New York Elementary last month. An investigation by the Lawrence Journal-World found the Douglas County inspector charged with overseeing a large portion of the construction was not authorized to enforce building codes for the school projects.

Construction projects are complete or nearly complete at 11 schools, and four projects currently underway are set to wrap up in early 2016. Inspections at those sites were done in part by Douglas County and private inspection firms.

Lawrence schools Superintendent Rick Doll will bring the new city inspection plan to the school board, with a recommended motion that it be approved. The motion also outlines plans for a re-inspection of New York Elementary.

School district officials announced last week that the district had cut short its contract with Combes Construction Co., the contractor at New York Elementary.

Under the proposed city inspection plan, the school district would pay 50 percent of the usual fee for the traditional city inspection process for the six schools. Private inspectors would continue to inspect the four ongoing projects at Kennedy, Sunset Hill and Woodlawn elementaries, and Lawrence High School.

Both the school board and the City Commission must approve the new inspection plan. The commission will consider the plan at its meeting at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The school board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.