Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home School District is evaluating its buildings for possible seismic upgrades through a state-funded grant program.
“The legislature has made school seismic improvements a priority,” said Business Manager Kevin Strong.
The state has set aside $175 million in funding.
The district is working with CCB Engineering of Klamath Falls to determine what needs Sweet Home has among its buildings.
The program is competitive, so there is no guarantee the district will win a grant.
No matching funds are required for the grant program, but the application requires an engineering assessment, cost estimate, a cost-benefit analysis, and an Oregon Department of Geological and Mineral Industries needs assessment.
Scoring is based on the cost-benefit analysis, readiness, scope of work, financial feasibility and fit with and importance to the community.
The current maximum grant is $1.5 million.
The Sweet Home High School auditorium may be a candidate for the program, said Ron Sharrah, chairman of the Sweet Home Auditorium Remodel Committee, which is currently in the process of repairing and upgrading the auditorium in a series of projects.
The funding is available over a two-year period, Sharrah said, and the first date any district will learn about grant awards will be in December or January.
“Because Sweet Home School District has a jump on this process, they expect to get into this first pool of districts competing for funds,” Sharrah said. Because it is a competitive process, district officials are somewhat guarded regarding the chances for funding.
The project will impact what SHARC is doing in the auditorium, and a seismic upgrade could mean duplication of some work.
“At this point, we have no idea exactly what would need to be done to the building to upgrade to current seismic standards, but it may involve replacing the entire roof system,” Sharrah said. “At that point, the entire interior of the auditorium would have to be gutted and items for re-use stored till they can be reinstalled.”
That’s why SHARC is focusing on sound equipment, a project less likely to be impacted by seismic upgrades, said Shirley Austin, a member of the committee.
The seismic upgrades may provide an opportunity to “accomplish what we want regarding the remodel of the auditorium,” Sharrah said.
Coming up, SHARC will host its second annual SHARC Showdown talent contest on Sept. 26. For more information, contact Austin at (541) 409-8957.
The contest will be held at 7:30 p.m. A barbecue chicken dinner in the high school cafeteria precedes the show at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for both are available for $10 until Sept. 18 at The New Era and Chamber of Commerce. A limited number of dinners will be available that night for $10. Show tickets are $5 ahead of time and at the door. Student tickets are $3. Admission is free for children younger than 7.
Applications to compete also are available at the Chamber of Commerce, 1575 Main St., or The New Era, 1313 Main St.