April 1, 2008 — After only five days of construction, the temporary classrooms built at Diamond View School were almost complete. Eight classrooms have been constructed in the school’s multi-purpose room and gymnasium. In addition, three modular buildings, including the computer lab will also be used as classrooms.

The new classroom space is needed as recent inspections revealed fire and life safety problems throughout the interior structures in the main school buildings.

Work began on Friday, March 21 and on Wednesday, March 26, all that remained was texturing and painting the walls and laying carpet, which was to take place on Friday, March 28.

In a press release, Susanville School Superintendent Gary McIntire said, “The fast pace of the project was developed with student and staff safety in mind. Plans have been drawn and work inspected to make sure the project complies with state guidelines. Work on the project has been submitted to the Division of the State Architect for approval. Meanwhile, the District has been preparing documents to submit to the Office of Public School Construction to begin the process for future reconstruction of Diamond View School.

Diamond View is scheduled to reopen tomorrow, Wednesday, April 2. Students will be shown new procedures for emergency evacuation in the new classrooms. Susanville Fire Department staff will be available to assist in the training of the new procedures.

Jack Clark, a carpenter with general contractor Mike Smith, said construction workers installed framed metal stud walls and sheetrock and braced the classrooms to the gymnasium walls to prevent them from being knocked down. Additional fluorescent lighting was installed in the classrooms in the gymnasium.

Three-quarter-inch plywood was placed over the gymnasium floor to prevent damage to the gym floor.

Clark said the classrooms should be pretty quiet.

According to Ray Rough, Susanville School District maintenance supervisor, the classrooms in the main building were to be moved last Saturday.

Project manager and school inspector, Kevin Nolen, oversaw the whole process.

At a Wednesday, March 19 meeting of the Susanville School District Board of Trustees, Superintendent Gary McIntire said the unsafe conditions became an issue when the Susanville Fire Department deemed some modifications in the building unsafe.

According to a press release from the SSD, the district is working closely with the fire department to ensure student and staff safety at Diamond View School.

McIntire said, “The current temporary classrooms will only be used until June, when school ends for the year. The district is currently reviewing all of its options for housing Diamond View School students for next year. The most likely option for next year will be for housing Diamond View students in portable classrooms. Diamond View students will most likely remain in portable classrooms until the main school buildings on the Diamond View campus have been modernized and brought into building code compliance.”

The Susanville School District will post information and updates on its webpage at susanvillesd.org and messages and updates will be added to the recording at Diamond View School at 257-8200.