Santa Fe High School's wooden bleachers inside Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium were a mainstay for more then three decades before they were replaced in the summer of 2006.

The new set of metal bleachers barely got through Year 3 before needing a makeover.

Poor installation, the lack of a warranty and safety issues compelled Santa Fe Public Schools to approve the purchase of new bleachers for the gymnasium Tuesday.

The school board approved a contract for the work, which will cost $510,962.09.

It will be paid for by a supplemental mill levy allocated by House Bill 33.

SFPS athletic director Skip Hemperley said it was imperative to replace the bleachers, especially the ones on the second floor of the two-tiered gym, because of shoddy work done during their installation.

Hemperley indicated that the frame of the upper-deck bleachers was detaching itself from the wall and the undercarriage dragged on the floor.

Also, it was difficult to see the court from the upper deck's bottom rows because the railing around the gym's lower level obstructed the view.

The flaw in the lower level bleachers was rows of seating that were 16 inches high instead of the normal 11, which will be fixed with the new installation.

The upper level, which was extended and retracted manually, will be operated electronically.

The bleachers purchased in 2006 did not come with a warranty.

"Because they were installed by a third-party subcontractor, there was no warranty," Hemperley said.

The school district explored correcting the upper deck design flaws, but Hemperley said the cost of repairs was more than buying a new set of bleachers, although he did not know the specific cost.

Phone messages left for Jim Romero, the district chief operations officer who oversees school facilities, were not returned.

Joe Butler, who was Santa Fe High's athletic manager at the time of the initial installation, said the purchase of the metal bleachers was handled by school district administrators.

Butler said he was present when the bleachers were tested to detect any flaws, and it was discovered that the wheels were sliding on the linoleum.

Custodians placed a clear gloss coat on the floor to correct the problem.

Over time, Butler said he saw some problems in the upper deck — specifically with obstructed views and the undercarriage — but those seats were rarely used for athletic events during the 2006-07 school year.

"My feeling was to keep the upper bleachers in and fill the lower ends until they were packed," Butler said. "We wanted to keep a noisy environment instead of having everybody spread out in a place that holds 3,200 (people)."

This is the third upgrade of gymnasium seating at Santa Fe's two public high schools in as many years.

In 2008, Capital High replaced its original wooden bleachers with metals ones.

Capital's former athletic manager, Joe Moulton, said the cost of the new bleachers was $150,000 and the only problem with the new arrangement was that the aisles did not line up with all of the entrances from the upper level.

However, Capital only has sideline bleachers on the floor.