2023 EDUCATION EDITION
Load-bearing wall likely cause of FISD roof collapse
Alvin ISD will meet at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at 301 E. House St., Alvin. Regular meetings are streamed at www.youtube.com/@alvinisd647 Friendswood ISD will meet at 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 14 at 402 Laurel Drive, Friendswood. Regular meetings are not streamed or recorded. Pearland ISD will meet on Aug. 21 at 1928 N. Main St., Pearland. Regular meetings are streamed at www.youtube.com/@thepearlandisd MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS PEARLAND ISD A number of new administrators are joining Pearland ISD, the district announced on June 29. Charles Allen will take over as executive director of curriculum instruction after working as the principal at Pearland Junior High East for the past seven years and has spent 17 years total in PISD. Replacing him will be Audie Johnson, who was formerly the assistant principal at Pearland High School. Joseph Cahill, who has 18 years of experience in education, will take over as director of advanced academics.
BY JAMES T. NORMAN
ROOF COLLAPSE OVER TIME After the roof of the boy’s gym at Friendswood High School collapsed in June, o cials have been working to investigate the cause and start needed work to reopen it.
FRIENDSWOOD ISD About a month after the boy’s gym roof collapsed at Friendswood High School—killing one construction worker—o cials announced July 18 the possible cause was a load-bearing wall being taken out, according to a letter to district sta and parents from Friendswood ISD. What happened: In June, the boy’s gym roof collapsed at Friendswood High School, killing one construction worker and injuring three others. The district announced July 18 that di erent engi- neering rms found a load-bearing wall was taken out. The wall was not identi ed as a load-bearing one during planning, possibly leading to the collapse, according to the letter. The wall was taken out as part of the interior demoli- tion of the Walter Wilson Fieldhouse, which is part of the district’s bond program, according to the district’s July 18 letter. Going forward: In Superintendent Thad Roher’s weekly letter, he provided a construction update on both Friend- swood High School and several other schools. The site of the collapse has been handed back over the district, o cials said in the letter. The goal is to reopen Friendswood High School to sta Aug. 7 and then to
JUNE
June 13: Gym roof collapses at Friendswood ISD June 14: Friendswood High School closes while collapse is investigated July: O cials nish investigation and hand site back to FISD July 18: FISD o cials give update on collapse and say load bearing wall being removed is likely the cause Aug. 7: Teachers return to building Aug. 15: First day of school; construction area restricted October: Gym area expected to reopen
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SOURCE: FRIENDSWOOD ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
students Aug. 15. Roher said in the letter the area a ected by the col- lapse will not be ready before students and sta arrive, but there will be a plan in place to keep students away from the area. Access to the school’s new gym will likely be available in October.
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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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