May 8, 2012, 12:05 AM
A Los Gatos school district's decision to halt construction of a new elementary school over state geologists' safety concerns has inflamed a local mountain community and highlighted the difficulty of building schools in seismically vulnerable areas. Los Gatos Union School District...
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April 24, 2012, 3:30 PM
A state Senate committee voted today to support legislation that would create a task force to strengthen the state's oversight of earthquake protections for public schools. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, SB 1271 now heads to the Appropriations Committee...
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April 20, 2012, 12:05 AM
Prompted by a scathing audit and proposed legislation, the state's top construction administrators are scheduled today to discuss ways to improve the seismic safety and oversight of public school building projects. State Architect Chester Widom and Lisa Silverman, executive officer for the...
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April 6, 2012, 12:05 AM
California's Seismic Safety Commission could lose funding this year due to a 2010 ballot initiative that made it harder to impose government fees on businesses and individuals. The state Legislative Analyst's Office determined last week that the governor's proposed method of...
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March 29, 2012, 12:05 AM
Legislation aimed at overhauling the state's school construction law sailed through the Senate Education Committee yesterday. Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, introduced the bill, SB 1271, following a California Watch investigation and...
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March 1, 2012, 12:05 AM
The chairwoman of the state Senate disaster preparedness committee is calling for new building standards and an overhaul of California's seismic safety law in the wake of a California Watch investigation and a scathing audit that found significant flaws in the state's oversight of...
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January 13, 2012, 12:20 AM
Newly appointed State Architect Chester Widom said yesterday that he is "digging deep" and looking at all possible solutions to address issues cited in a recent audit critical of the state's seismic safety regulator for public schools. Speaking for about five minutes near the end...
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January 12, 2012, 12:05 AM
Newly appointed State Architect Chester Widom is slated to discuss today what steps seismic regulators are taking to address problems with their enforcement of earthquake safety requirements for public schools. Widom will brief the state Seismic Safety Commission in Sacramento about a...
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December 22, 2011, 12:04 AM
Despite California’s strict seismic safety regulations, the construction process at two school districts illustrates how mismanagement, disregard for safety requirements and allegations of fraud led to structural defects that could endanger students during an earthquake.
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December 22, 2011, 12:03 AM
Frequently asked questions about earthquake safety in California public schools
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December 22, 2011, 12:03 AM
December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
California Watch uncovered systematic failures by the state's chief regulator of construction standards for public schools. You can contact school officials, politicians and state agencies about earthquake safety.
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December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
Here are ways that you can learn more and get involved in earthquake safety at schools in your community.
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December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
Find information to help you better understand earthquakes and the terms used throughout our seismic safety coverage. There are resources for getting involved, tips on how to prepare for the Big One, a parent’s preparedness checklist and more.
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December 8, 2011, 1:48 PM
State regulators charged with overseeing school construction have failed to ensure that the buildings children occupy are safe, according to a state audit released today.
The California State Auditor’s report found that the Division of the State Architect has limited authority to penalize...
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