Medford area schools to undergo seismic upgrades

Ruch, Ore. — Construction crews started work this afternoon on a project that will make Ruch  Community School more earthquake safe.

It’s the first of several projects the Medford School District will tackle thanks to a $6-million dollar state grant.

“Imagine a cardboard box that doesn’t have tape on the top and bottom of the box, and how it moves,” Todd Powell, Director of Engineering at Ausland Group explains, “if you add tape to the top and bottom and really reinforce that box, it’s not gonna move like it did before, so that’s  what we’re preparing these buildings for.”

Crews hope to have the seismic upgrades completed at Ruch by the time kids head back to school this fall. Similar projects will happen at Hoover, Griffin Creek, and Howard elementaries next year.

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