Buildings rated very poor could potentially collapse. They have falling hazards that could result in a higher loss of life than buildings given a poor rating.

"I have not yet seen (the seismic study), no," said Starlene Holm, principal of Lehi Elementary, where the original building received a very poor rating.

"There's no given plan for how things are going to shake out, so to speak," she said. "We would have to deal (with it when it happens). We practice evacuation procedures and look at our emergency response plan. And that's basically how we would approach it."

"We know that all of the older buildings were not built with the codes of today," Holm added. "Yes, it's just a matter of realizing there are some areas that are not up today's code. Of course that's the way all buildings are that are over 50 years old. This was built in 1951."

Thirty-nine buildings received a poor rating.

A poor seismic performance rating is less dangerous than very poor, according to the report.

A poor rating applies to buildings that in a quake would likely have structural and nonstructural damage — such as flooding or loss of power — and falling hazards that could result in death during a "major seismic disturbance."

Examples of poor-rated buildings are the original and gym buildings of American Fork High School, the original and classrooms buildings of Valley View Elementary and Lehi Elementary's two media center additions.

Vickie Garbut, a parent who serves on the Orem High School community council, doesn't fret much about the school's very poor rating for the auditorium/administrative building after school district officials promised they would rebuild the school.

School district officials last fall, as they campaigned for a bond issuance and leeway increase, declared Orem High one of the oldest and most unsafe schools in the district and promised to rebuild it in the next four years.

Voters in November authorized the district to issue $230 million in bonds to pay for new buildings and upgrades to existing buildings, including seismic retrofitting. Property tax rates will not increase with the bonds because of new construction and increases in value of existing homes and businesses.

"Basically, you pray when you send your kids to school every day," Garbut said. "I know they have evacuation plans and things like that."

Good and fair ratings

Buildings with good ratings would in a major earthquake only receive some damage, or have some falling hazards that would not significantly jeopardize life.

Sixty-nine buildings received good ratings.