Monroe Elementary School cleared of structural concerns

The Desert Sands Unified School District announced Monroe Elementary School has been cleared of any concerns over structural issues.

On Wednesday, the district announced there would be structural testing at Monroe Elementary Madison Elementary “out of an abundance of caution” following the closure of Madison Elementary School on October 13.

Madison Elementary School was closed after an engineer found structural corrosion to some columns, possibly due to frequent power washing structural corrosion was found. The engineer said that this could pose a danger in the event of an earthquake or extreme winds. The students were moved to John Adams Early Childhood Learning Center.

Structural tests were conducted at Monroe Elementary due to the very similar design it had to Madison Elementary, according to DSUSD.

Ficcadenti Waggoner and Castle, a structural engineering firm, assessed the structural integrity of the buildings at Monroe Elementary and determined that there are no life-safety concerns relating to structural elements at the school.

The district says engineers visited the school, reviewed plans, performed ultrasonic testing, and observed current conditions.

Monroe Elementary will remain open as normal.

Full notice from DSUSD:

Based on observed conditions at Madison Elementary, a structural engineering firm, Ficcadenti Waggoner and Castle, was retained to assess the structural integrity of the buildings at Monroe Elementary School. After visiting the school site, reviewing the plans, performing ultrasonic testing, and observing the current conditions, they have determined that there are no life-safety concerns relating to structural elements at Monroe Elementary School. Thus, the District will not be re-locating students and staff from Monroe Elementary School.

KESQ 2019