Student Demands Safe School Asks Legislators For Stronger Safety Codes

Dr. Willard Osmunson and his daughter Kristy wowed the joint House and Senate Education committees on Tuesday, when they called for stronger safety codes for building public schools.

“I would like you to provide the students, specifically me and my classmates, with a guarantee that our school is safe. I would like that in writing, if that is possible,” said Kristy Osmunson, a sophomore at Sandpoint High School.

The comment was met with laughter, but Kristy had captured the committee’s attention.

Also addressing the committee was Rebecca Hawkins, Bonner County school board chairman. Willard Osmunson is vice chairman.

The school trustees agreed that proposed rule changes for public schools would have a positive effect, but felt that stronger limits needed to be placed into the legislation.

After the collapse of the Sandpoint High School roof on Dec. 30, the safety of public schools was their first priority.

“I think it was an appropriate time to bring up the issues we did,” Hawkins told the committee. “They are relevant to Bonner County. They are relevant to buildings throughout the state.”

Willard Osmunson introduced his purpose by introducing his daughter.

“This is my daughter Kristy. Bonner School District is closed. That’s why she’s here.”

The two then took turns presenting to the committee, showing pictures of the damage to the school and appealing to the committee for changes. One particularly striking picture showed roof beams and piles of snow covering the floor of Sandpoint High’s auditorium.

“I love to sing,” said Kristy, “and I’m often in the auditorium. If the roof had collapsed on a day that I was in school, I probably would have been on that stage or in those bleachers.”

Willard Osmunson said the chances of survival would have been slight.

He added that school attendance is compulsory, but no one wants to send their children someplace that is unsafe.

“How are we supposed to concentrate and work on our geometry … when we are always worried about whether the roof’s going to fall in or not?” said Kristy. “That’s pretty scary.”

Willard Osmunson pressed committee members to place stringent building safety standards in the state’s new rules for public schools. He suggested that all school buildings be required to exceed building code standards for snow loads by 25 percent.

The state’s proposed new rules now promise only to meet “applicable local building codes,” the same codes used when Sandpoint High was built in 1991.

Willard Osmunson asked the committee to consider giving school districts more options in order to pay for disasters. He called for the Legislature to give county more local option taxes or allow districts to vote on taxes of their choice.

He reminded the committee of a bill that passed last session that removed the responsibility for giving equal education from the state and gave that task to local school boards.

“You gave us the responsibility, now give the options to fund these responsibilities … It’s the mother of all unfunded mandates,” he said.

A member of the committee, Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said after the meeting that it’s invaluable for lawmakers considering legislation to hear from the people that the proposal affects.

Kristy, though, was unsure of the committee’s reaction to her presentation.

“Sometimes … I don’t know … I think they forget about us down here,” she said. “I hope what I said had an effect, because it’s not just for us. It’s for all schools.”

Willard Osmunson was a little more optimistic.

“There’s no doubt they were listening. Pictures say 1,000 words … When you see classrooms like this, it has tremendous impact,” he said. “There isn’t a single senator I’ve talked with who is not concerned about collapsing schools.”

He added, “I wouldn’t have taken the time off if I didn’t feel it was worth it.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: BONNER COUNTY SCHOOLS TO REOPEN THURSDAY Most Bonner County schools will reopen Thursday after being closed eight days because of snow damage to roofs. Sandpoint High School, where the auditorium roof collapsed, will not reopen until Monday. At Farmin Elementary all classes will resume except for kindergarteners and first-and third-graders. Those students will return to class on Friday. Crews are still cleaning up the school and portable classrooms are being installed.