Section 16-1-2

Inspection of buildings during and after construction; acceptance of completed construction; forms for construction contracts.

In order to eliminate the causes of school fires and other conditions which jeopardize the health and safety of school children:

(1) The county or city superintendent of education shall notify the State Superintendent of Education within 10 days after the beginning of the construction of a building; and, upon the request of the county or city superintendent of education, the State Superintendent of Education or his agent shall inspect said building during construction for the purpose of seeing that plans and specifications upon which the contract was let are being complied with.

(2) A county or city superintendent of education shall not recommend and a county or city board of education shall not approve for payment more than 90 percent of the contract price of the building constructed by the county or city board of education until the State Superintendent of Education or his agent has made a final inspection of said building for the purpose of seeing that the plans and specifications upon which the contract was let have been complied with in full. The State Superintendent of Education or his agent must make final inspection of a school building within 10 days after being notified by the county or city board of education that the building is ready for final inspection. When the State Superintendent of Education or his agent makes a final inspection of a building and finds that it has been completed in accordance with said plans and specifications, the State Superintendent of Education must within five days after said final inspection give the county or city board of education written notice that the building has been completed in accordance with plans and specifications. If the State Superintendent of Education or his agent in making final inspection finds that the building has not been completed in accordance with plans and specifications, the State Superintendent of Education shall not authorize acceptance of said building until it has been completed in accordance with the plans and specifications on which the contract was let or until the contractor or his bondsmen makes an adjustment satisfactory to the county or city board of education and the State Superintendent of Education. Final acceptance of a building cannot be made by a county or city board of education and the final payment of 10 percent of the contract price of such building cannot be made until the State Superintendent of Education has given written notice to the county or city board of education that said building has been completed in accordance with the plans and specifications upon which the contract was let.

(3) Contracts for architectural services and for school building construction shall be made by county and city boards of education on contract forms prescribed by the State Superintendent of Education, into which forms the contracting parties shall write the terms and conditions of the contract agreed upon.

(4) Representatives of the Department of Finance charged with the responsibility of inspecting buildings insured in the State Insurance Fund shall at all times have the authority to inspect for fire hazards school buildings insured in the State Insurance Fund. Reports of said inspections shall be made to the county or city superintendent of education, the State Superintendent of Education and the Director of Finance of the State Department of Finance. If a board of education fails within 30 days to eliminate a potential fire hazard, or hazards, in a school building insured in the State Insurance Fund when notified to do so by a representative of the State Department of Finance charged with the responsibility of inspecting buildings insured in the State Insurance Fund, upon the recommendation of the State Superintendent of Education, the Director of Finance shall have the authority to order the affected building vacated and closed until said potential fire hazard, or hazards, are eliminated.

(Acts 1943, No. 254, p. 224, § 1.)