FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Adi Bryant

Executive Director of Communications
Red Oak ISD
Adi.bryant@redoakisd.org
12-31-15

Shields Elementary Relief Update and Next Steps

Dozens of news stories have circulated regarding the positive outpouring of volunteerism, donations, community and school
support in Red Oak ISD in the wake of the tornado that ripped through parts of Ellis County on Saturday. A massive
coordinated effort resulted in the salvage of school items and a cosmetic restoration of the new temporary home for Shields
Elementary on Live Oak Street. The district looks forward to welcoming the staff and more than 500 students to their new site
on Tuesday, January 5. Red Oak ISD will forever be grateful for the community, county and region to our outpouring of support.
In a recent news article, the construction quality of Shields Elementary on Ovilla Road was called into question along with that
of numerous other structures in North Texas. Red Oak ISD takes these statements very seriously as the safety of our students
is our number one priority. The district has yet to see any official finding or report that substantiates the contents of the article.
Upon learning of the statements, Red Oak ISD contacted the schools engineering firm, L.A. Feuss, to inquire about the
construction quality. The inspection of the construction quality of the damaged school will take considerable time due to the
size of the school and scope of the damage. The district awaits any official report before making decisions or statements about
the construction quality rather than the assertions of one individual upon whose opinions the article was based.
We are confident in the processes that the insurance companies and engineering professionals take after a devastating storm
like the tornado that ripped through many structures in Ellis County. While we wait for facts and official findings, our sole focus
is on preparing our temporary Shields Elementary School on Live Oak Street for our students to return next week.
Facts:
Donald T. Shields Elementary was built in 2008.
The construction company was Ratcliff Constructors.
The engineering firm was L.A. Feuss.
The architect was Corgan & Associates.
The district does not believe that any other facility in the district was constructed by Ratcliff Constructors.
Cadence McShane is the construction company for the rebuild of Shields Elementary on Ovilla Road. Cadence
McShane also constructed Red Oak High School previously.
The district reports no issues with the quality of Shields Elementary on Ovilla Road since it opened in 2008.
Shields Elementary was subject to and passed all standard code inspections that applied during its construction.
The district has not been contacted by the National Weather Service with any report or confirmation the article
represents their official position.
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