As you may recall, CRCSD made the decision to close the dome portions of Taft and Harding Middle School last month when engineers found issues with some of the support beams in each dome. We wanted to give you an update on the progress of the repairs.
The district has continued to work with engineers from Raker Rhodes, Solum Lang Architects, and McComas-Lacina Construction to find a solution for fixing the deteriorating external beams. The firms have been working on the beams at the east dome structure, which houses the cafeteria, kitchen, and fine arts at Taft. Crews are working to install metal plates to the wood beam structures and welding them to the metal anchors attached to the concrete footings around the dome. Crews are expected to begin the same repairs at Harding next week. They hope to have the first domes at each school completed by the end of December, weather permitting. Then, they will move on to the domes that house the gymnasium.
In the interim, two portable classrooms have been moved to Taft Middle School to help provide additional classroom space. Crews are hoping to have those portables ready for students next week. While at Harding Middle School, renovations were made to reconfigure some classroom space to accommodate students.
