Thanks to member organization CAIS, CAPSO was alerted to a draft report produced by the California Seismic Safety Commission's School Safety Ad Hoc Committee.

"Ideally, all the deficient schools would be retrofitted and regulations developed to secure the non-structural items and building contents that pose a risk. In the real world, this will require substantial resources. The largest risks are posed by private schools, and will require actions by private groups and citizens to fund evaluations and retrofits." From "Seismic Safety in California's Schools" draft report, July, 2004–2006, page 9.

On August 18, 2004–2006, CAPSO President Robert A. Teegarden and Executive Director Ron Reynolds met with the full School Safety Ad Hoc Committee and additional members of the Seismic Safety Commission to address CAPSO's concerns and to discuss workable approaches to evaluating and upgrading the seismic safety of school facilities.

CAPSO was assured that the current report is a work-in-progress, that the concerns expressed by the state's private school community are considered to be valid and will be addressed, and that CAPSO will be invited to review advance copies of future drafts.

CAPSO's leaders noted that private schools place the safety and well-being of students as their first priority, and that the entire enterprise of private education rests upon a foundation of direct accountability to students and parents. At the same time, committee members were reminded that private schools operate in an environment of finite resources and that laws that establish unattainable requirements do little to help their intended beneficiaries.

CAPSO is appreciative of the Commission's responsiveness to the concerns of California's private school community.

Among the recommendations contained in the draft report:

• Establish a procedure to evaluate the seismic safety of existing public and private school buildings constructed prior to 1978 and 1986, respectively.

• Modify the Private Schools Building Safety Act and Charter School Act to clarify seismic safety provisions.

• Evaluate number of potentially hazardous architectural, electrical and mechanical elements in older schools that are not anchored or braced and develop and apply mitigation guidelines.

• Regulate and enforce securing the anchoring and bracing of school contents installed, especially after construction is complete.