Panel recommends repairing earthquake-damaged schools

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage School District committee is recommending a plan to repair two schools damaged by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck south-central Alaska.

The Anchorage Daily News reports the panel made up of school board and community members endorsed a proposal last week calling for Gruening Middle School and Eagle River Elementary to be fixed instead of demolished and replaced.

According to estimates based on preliminary engineering reports, demolishing and rebuilding the schools would cost about $111 million while repairing the facilities would cost about $36.3 million.

Both schools have been closed since the powerful Nov. 30 earthquake.

District officials say they’re confident voters will approve bonds on the April 2 ballot for the repairs.

The school board is expected to vote on the plan at its meeting next week.

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Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com