BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A middle school constructed nine years ago is showing some cracks.
During its joint committee meeting Monday night, the school board of Bethlehem Area School District reviewed an agreement for an investigation to determine if settlement cracking has stopped at Nitschmann Middle School.
The building, which opened its doors on West Union Boulevard in 2017, has visible and documented issues, including cracks in drywall and vertical floor separation, according to meeting documents. Nothing observed affects the building’s structural safety, documents state, but the cracks are significant enough to warrant repair.
At its next meeting, the school board will vote on whether to proceed with an investigation to determine if the settlement of the building has stopped. The project architect, prime contractor, project manager and district have agreed to share the $37,500 cost of the investigation. The cost will be shared equally among Breslin Architects, D’Huy Engineering, Penn Builders and BASD.
The investigation will include a laser survey conducted three times over the next year. Following the survey, repair solutions will be developed based on the findings.
The 180,000-square-foot middle school can accommodate just over a thousand students. It currently has an enrollment of 723, with a 67.4% utilization rate based on the building’s functional capacity, according to an districtwide analysis discussed separately during Monday’s meeting.
In 2013, the estimated cost of the new building was around $54 million. It replaced a nearly 100-year-old building.