Nearly two months after a multi-use facility collapsed during construction, San Diego Independent School District held a public meeting Wednesday, Jan. 14th, night with district leaders, community members and contractors all seeking answers about the sudden structural failure.
Stacy Schiffbauer with Pentagon Services addressed the school board, acknowledging the obvious while providing few details about the investigation.
"Yeah, the building fell down. Obviously something went wrong," Schiffbauer said.
He told board members he could not say much about the incident that happened on Nov. 29, 2025, until the investigation is complete, and he has no time frame for when that might happen.
"This time the cause of the collapse have not yet been formally determined. The investigation includes a review of structural design, manufacturing specifications erection procedures, and compliance with approved plans and industry standards," Schiffbauer said.
Pentagon Services said they will complete the project and cover all costs as construction moves forward. Crews have been cleaning up debris since last Thursday.
However, an engineer involved in the project offered his opinion that high winds may have played a role in the collapse. Also confirmed the structure was missing tail backs, which are support braces designed to stabilize the frame.
"You guys can see, the steel went ahead and yielded. When we say yielded — it means the steel actually ripped apart," said Ramiro Munoz, Munoz Engineering.
Munoz said if you walk through the area - the damage makes it clear the steel deformed under extreme stress, but questions remain about why it failed in the first place. He said they'll work with the district and Pentagon Services to improve checkpoints through the continuation of the project.
District leaders said there are still unanswered questions. They went into executive session to discuss their legal options.
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