C. J. Huff: We failed the inspection, but we didn't know they were grading us

In his latest Real or Rumor blog, Joplin R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff explains the confusion over the failing grade given the new Joplin High School building at last Friday's city inspection.

• Today's Topic: The High School Inspections and the High School Opening

  Posted by Dr. CJ Huff at 8/14/2014

  This week’s topic: the high school inspections and the high school opening
  
  I have had several questions regarding the recent high school inspections. I’ve also had multiple questions from parents and community members regarding the opening of the new high school. I know that we have many anxious parents, students, and staff members out there. Here are a few answers to the questions I’ve been hearing. If you have additional questions, please email them to webmaster@joplinschools.org.
  
  
  Did the new Joplin High School/Franklin Technology Center fail the city inspection last Friday?
  The Friday inspection was a planned inspection for our temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO). We expected there to be a list of corrections but felt optimistic that we could complete the corrections over the weekend in time to begin our move on Monday. As you already know, that did not happen. We did not receive the TCO. The short answer is yes, but we had a different understanding of the process. See the question below regarding the confusion.
  
  Why did you share with KZRG that the building didn't fail the city inspection last Friday?
  We (me, our construction director, and representatives from our construction management company) were unaware that the City of Joplin had an internal document that graded the inspection as a pass/fail inspection. In fact, the first time in the last three years of construction projects that we saw this internal document was after it was posted out to social media last week. We've been working closely with the City since the beginning of this project. They have been great partners, and they have been doing inspections for over a year. For the last couple of months, the City of Joplin inspectors have been on site almost daily inspecting various aspects of the site. Last Friday's walk through was a culmination of all the work to date, however, we didn't expect to "pass" an inspection last Friday to get our TCO. We did expect to get a list of corrections that we hoped to complete over the weekend so that we would receive our TCO. I apologize for the confusion.
  
  How many inspections have happened at the site?
  Literally hundreds.
  
  Was the outcome a surprise?
  The outcome of last Friday's inspection wasn't a surprise. The outcome of Tuesday’s inspection by the state elevator inspector was a surprise. As you may be aware, it was discovered that we have to install fire-rated ceilings in our elevator mechanical rooms to comply with fire code requirements. This is underway and should be complete by the end of the week.
  
  What is the inspection process?
  The City is on site almost daily. Often we invite them to inspect various aspects of the buildings, other times they initiate a check on progress, take measurements, look at plans, etc. They have spent 100's of hours on the site over the last two years. We are getting close enough now to a finished product that the inspections are becoming more formal. We basically have a checklist of items they have given us to work on to get our TCO. They inspect and re-inspect almost daily. We are very close.
  
  What is a temporary certificate of occupancy?
  The TCO gives us permission to have people occupying the building other than contractors.
  
  Why do we need it?
  It is a certificate that indicates the building meets all minimum life safety, ADA, and code requirements. It's the first step in getting the doors open so our teachers can move into their classrooms.
  
  What happens once we get the TCO?
  The city issues our certificate and "The Big Move" begins immediately.
  
  Is there a permanent occupancy certificate?
  Eventually we will receive our official Certificate of Occupancy. The temporary certificate of occupancy is all that is needed for us to have school in the building from the City’s perspective.
  
  Does the building have to pass another inspection before we can start school?
  No. But, in addition to the city and state elevator inspection, the kitchens will also have to pass an inspection by the health inspector in order for us to serve food from the cafeteria. That inspection is planned for next week. Our boilers also have to pass a state inspection.
  
  What happens if the school doesn't pass these inspections?
  The contractors involved in the construction project are all on site. What typically happens is as soon as an issue is identified, the contractor is either right there to address the issue, or we give them a call and they come right over and begin making any needed corrections.
  
  The site looks unfinished. How is it ever going to be ready and safe for school to start?
  The exterior is what most folks see. It is closer than it looks. Next week, the sod will be laid and decorative landscaping will begin. The exterior building finishes are also moving along quickly and will be done on most of the building before the start of school. On the interior, we continue to hit our daily milestones.
  
  The bottom line is we won't move into the building until the City and Joplin Schools determine it is safe for our students and staff.
  
  Why the push? Why can't we start school in another location?
  Our teachers’ classrooms are already boxed up and ready to go. We've already moved a majority of the furniture from the 11-12 Campus at the mall to the new location. Moving to another location is going to be a tremendous hardship on our students and staff, just to turn around and move again. Also, our seniors have been in temporary facilities for three years and have never had their own high school. It is important to us to get our students back to a permanent high school. We've known from the beginning it would come down to the wire. Joplin Schools and our community are no strangers to adversity and deadlines. We've hit every target to date with the support of our community and volunteers from all over the country. It's our intent to do it again.
  
  I heard that you extended the lease on the mall. Is that your plan B?
  No, the mall is not our plan B. It is true that we have extended the lease for the space at Northpark Mall that was used for our temporary 11-12 Campus. That lease has been extended through the end of September and longer if we need it. We extended the lease in order to complete the demolition required for the interior space. Per FEMA guidelines, we must return the property to its original state unless the property owner chooses to keep the space in its current state. We are working with the property owner to make the final determination. If demolition is required, 85% of the cost of the demolition will be paid for by FEMA and SEMA. The district must cover 15% of the cost of demolition. We will not use the space for students.
  
  Why don’t you have a plan B?
  Our expectation is to hit our target date of Aug. 25. We recognize that is an aggressive and optimistic deadline. The construction workers are working hard to meet that deadline. We can’t thank you enough for your thoughts, prayers, and messages of support. It means a lot.
  
  If it is determined that it’s not possible to open the high school on Aug. 25 from a student and staff safety perspective, we will communicate our intentions with parents, students, and staff through our dialer system. We will also share the information with our community on our websites, social media pages, and through the media.