Schools

Hardwood Flooring Approved for Middle School Gym

Board members approved the flooring at its October regular meeting

A hardwood floor will replace the carpeting damaged by mold in Manchester Township Middle School's gym.

Board of education members on Wednesday night voted in favor of replacing the school's iconic gym carpeting with wood. The $154,700 contract was awarded to Classic Sport Floors of West Berlin, the lowest bidder by $9,750. 

Since installing hardwood flooring costs more than replacing the carpeting, it is likely that insurance will not cover the entire project and the district will pay the difference, said district Business Administrator Craig Lorentzen.

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It's likely we'll get the replacement value for the carpet floor," Lorentzen said, adding that it was not clear what the price for carpet replacement would be. 

The gym is one of many areas in MTMS that was affected by an outbreak of mold discovered in August. Restoration efforts have been ongoing since then while middle school students attend Manchester Township High School in a split session. 

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bid includes two alternate scenarios: one was for the price of a urethane floor — "we wanted to see what the deduction would be from the base bid," Lorentzen said — and the other adds the potential cost replacing three exterior gym doors. 

"The fact that we're going to a floating wood floor now raises the level of the floor, and there are [Americans with Disabilities Act] requirements that we have to implement," Lorentzen said. "Either the doors have to be cut or the doors have to be replaced."

The cost of the doors in the Classic Sport Floors bid is $16,100, according to the resolution passed by the board. 

Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway said that administrators plan to have the building open at the end of November. 

"Thanksgiving break would be a good transition," he said. 

A meeting between administrators and the flooring company is anticipated to be held on Friday to discuss plans going forward. 

Painting in the gym should be done Monday or Tuesday of next week, Lorentzen said. Then, Classic Sport Floors can begin readying the gym, which begins with sandblasting and sealing the floor. 

"We're hoping the job, barring any hiccups throughout the process, is done sometime at the end of November or early December so that it correlates with the students getting back into the school," Lorentzen said.

The Kevin's Kids holiday gift drive, which normally holds a large present wrapping event in the middle school gym, will likely need to find another location this year. But the drive's founder, school district administrator Kevin Burger,  said that an alternate facility will be secured. 

It was announced in September that the district's insurance company attributed the mold growth to older improperly functioning equipment. As such, the company will cover the cost of the restoration, though it is still unclear what the project's final cost will be. The district's insurance policy has a $75,000 deductible, according to Lorentzen.

Be the first to know. Stay up to the minute on the latest Manchester and Lakehurst news by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and subscribing to our newsletter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here