Goof starts contractor off on wrong track -- literally

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- A contractor slated to remove and replace a track at a Federal Way middle school got off to a quick start Monday by demolishing nearly a quarter of the old track by noon. 

There was one problem with the work, though: The contractors were replacing the wrong track at the wrong school. 

Diane Turner, a spokesperson with Federal Way Public Schools, said the work was supposed to be done at Saghalie Middle School in the 33000 block of 19th Avenue SW. Instead, the contractor began to rip up the running track at Sequoyah Middle School in the 3400 block South of 360th Street. 

Turner said the contractor removed somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of the track before workers realized they were at the wrong school. She believes the likeness in names and the fact that both school were in the Federal Way School District caused the confusion. 

The project manager took full responsibility for the mistake, and promised to pay for all necessary repairs, Turner said. Work on repairs will begin when school is out for the summer. 

Turner said the company has worked for the school district a long time, and that the mistake was an honest blunder.