Seismic Investigation Shows Two Beverly Hills Schools Fail to Make the Grade

Two schools serving Beverly Hills students might not comply with modern earthquake safety standards, according to data from the Division of the State Architect.

, located at 624 N. Rexford Drive, and , located at 605 N. Whittier Drive, were both included in California’s list of public school buildings that may potentially fail to meet sufficient building standards, leaving them vulnerable to earthquakes.

A 19-month California Watch investigation released Thursday uncovered holes in the state's enforcement of seismic safety regulations for public schools. Some schools may have been inadequately retrofitted, while more recent construction projects may not have received final state certification.

Aside from identifying schools that may be in violation of the state's earthquake safety standards, California Watch found that is within one-quarter mile of a seismic fault line, while is within one-quarter mile of a liquefaction zone—areas in which violent earthquakes loosen water-saturated soil, essentially turning the soil into quicksand. is within one-quarter mile of both a seismic fault line and a liquefaction zone.

A separate inventory completed nine years ago found 7,500 seismically risky school buildings in the state. California Watch reports that only two schools have been able to access a $200 million fund for upgrades, which were provided under Proposition 1D, a 2006 ballot measure that set aside money for schools from the kindergarten to university level for the repair and construction of facilities. 

Check back with Patch as we continue to investigate the compliance of Beverly Hills schools with California's earthquake safety standards.

This story was produced using data provided to Patch by California Watch, the state's largest investigative reporting team and part of the Center for Investigative Reporting. Read more about Patch's collaboration with California Watch.

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