Gym Roof Collapse Staggers Community, Forces Adjustments

The house was packed that February Friday night with excited students, parents and teachers. The Blacksburg High School boys varsity basketball team was competing against their area rivals, the Christiansburg Blue Demons. Carefree and focused on the competition of the game, the crowd was completely unaware of the fact that he structure surrounding was ready to give way at any moment.

“At 11:30 a.m. the following day, the girls basketball team was holding practice in the gym when they noticed some cracks in the wall, followed by some falling plaster,” BHS Principal Michael Hurst recalled. The coaches immediately canceled practice and had the students evacuate the building.

Authorities report that shortly after 1:30 p.m. the entire gymnasium collapsed.

“People keep talking about the roof collapsing, but have you seen the damage?" Hurst asked. "The walls buckled and the structural steel collapsed. It’s more than just the roof.”

From the outside, the building resembles a partially crushed cardboard box with the top caved in.

“We don’t know the reason yet, but there are many theories of heavy snow or old leaks leading to rusted structures," Hurst said when asked to explain the cause. "The cave and stream that run beneath the school are also being considered.”

According to the National Weather Service, Blacksburg has had more than 50 inches of snow this winter, with almost 30 inches of that coming from Jan. 29 on.

Rain was also a factor to consider in this event, Hurst said. “Blacksburg has definitely dealt with more snow than this during the last 30 years, but its weight was an issue. Imagine you put a sponge down and then fill it with water; it’s going to be much heavier. That’s what we’re dealing with here.”

“When I heard the news from a friend I couldn’t believe it,” said sophomore Eunah Jee. “I never thought that the Friday I left school would be the last time I saw the gym standing.”

School did not return to session for another nine days. That left the students behind academically, given that they had already had 11 snow days taken out of the school year.

Hurst reported that the State Board of Education is currently reviewing the school year schedule, but BHS still planned for seniors to graduate on time, June 13, and the last day of school to be June 10.

The students and faculty have been moved to Blacksburg Middle School, where they split the day with the middle school students. The high school students now attend classes from 2:00 - 7:15 p.m., while the middle school students simply start their day 20 minutes earlier and carry out their same schedule.

The school first opened in 1974 and had reported issues of structural problems with the roof in the main part of the building the following year. “The roof leaked and the basement flooded. Ironically, alternate classes were held in the gym,” said Tammy Wright, 1974 Blacksburg High School graduate and current registrar assistant for the school.

“It was no secret that there were cracks in other parts of the building, but the school was old and these things happen,” said Hurst, “but we were taking all the proper measures to keep a watchful eye on them.”

Hurst reported that after the inspection of the building was complete, the gymnasium would be demolished and possibly the entire building as well, but no decisions have been made. “We’re waiting to find out what the engineers say about the damage. We can’t make any decisions as of now,” the principal explained. “We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it.

“We’re already at a bill of $209,000 to demolish the gym and with an average of 18 months to construct a new high school there are issues of time and cost,” Hurst added.

Circumstances have forced students and teachers to abandon the gym and entire school since the incident due to safety precautions, but during its time, it served the community well. “The average lifespan of a high school is 31 years. The gym served its purpose and was an incredibly wonderful and functional facility,” Hurst said.

The gymnasium was home to several Virginia High School League tournaments and has seen the teams from across Virginia compete in countless activities throughout the decades.

“I can remember being so proud to show off the new gym to all the other schools when we held a conference in there for FBLA my senior year,” said Wright. “It’s upsetting to see it go, but I’m mostly thankful no one got hurt.”

Blacksburg, also known as the home of Virginia Tech, has had its fair share of hurt and negative media spotlight with an on campus massacre of 32 people in April 2007 that was heard around the world. “With the gym being filled to capacity the night before, we are just fortunate not to have another tragedy on our hands,” said Hurst. “That is what is most important and we cannot forget that.”