In April of 2022, a structural assessment of Sterling High School was completed after concerns about the structure were discovered during renovations. In summary, the report stated "we did not identify any immediate life safety issues based on our understanding of the structural design intent from Phase 1 and Phase 2 assessments." The report also "identified multiple locations where the steel deterioration is significant, and we anticipate the need for extensive repair or replacement in the immediate future."
The estimated construction cost to repair the structural issues of the main building is approximately $80 million. A repair would only address structural concerns at the foundation and does not address other aging building systems or aesthetics. To accomplish this renovation, the main building would need to come offline, and all students and staff would need to be relocated to approximately 40 portable buildings for a minimum of two school years. The amount of land required for the portables would in turn require sacrificing parking and practice fields. The approximate cost for the installation of the portables would add an additional $6 million. Additional repairs or building replacements would be required to address the Winnie Brown Gym, Natatorium, and Vocational Building. These repairs would also need to take place within the next 1-2 years and would amount to an additional $36 million in construction costs. A repair would cost a minimum of $122 million dollars and have drastic negative impacts to the instructional environment of the campus. It is more economical to rebuild Sterling High School than to repair several buildings that are 40 to 60 years old.
The full structural report can be found here: https://www.gccisd.net/page/open/25861/0/SterlingReport2022.pdf