School’s Roof an LAUSD Priority

The Los Angeles Board of Education sought Monday to speed up roof repairs at Granada Hills High School so that shuttered classrooms can reopen before the arrival of the wet winter months.

Declaring that an emergency exists at the campus, the board directed its staff to bypass state-mandated competitive bidding procedures in choosing a contractor to perform the work.

The roof over the school’s main administration building and its science and home economics buildings had deteriorated and were damaged in last winter’s rains. Since that time, ceilings and floors have been removed and an architect is now completing the design for new roofs.

But officials say that sending the project to bid could delay completion until at least November, the beginning of Southern California’s rainy season.

The district’s plan requires approval from the Los Angeles County superintendent of education. Los Angeles Unified officials did not say how much the work would cost.