GREENFIELD, Ohio — The Greenfield Exempted Village Board of Education has approved emergency action to fully replace the gymnasium floor at McClain High School’s New Gym after recent rains caused significant water damage, Superintendent Quincey Gray told families in a letter.
A professional assessment found that water intrusion had damaged the gym floor to the point that it requires a complete replacement, according to the letter. The board met Monday evening and approved the repair as an urgent necessity, a designation that allows the district to begin the work immediately rather than following a standard bidding timeline, Gray said.
Crews removing the damaged flooring found an older rubberized floor underneath that had been covered during a previous renovation, and that layer will also be removed, according to the letter. The district said the new floor will be installed in a way designed to make any future water problems easier to address.
The letter did not give an exact date for the flooding, but it follows a stretch of severe storms earlier this month that dumped more than 7 inches of rain on Greenfield and collapsed a culvert that closed a village street.
District officials said they are working with a contractor familiar with the high school’s gym floors to keep the project moving quickly, and are coordinating with other local facilities to line up practice space for student athletes and coaches while the New Gym is out of service. The district’s goal is to have the new floor completed before the start of the basketball season.
“We understand that the gymnasium is an important part of our school and community. It is used not only for athletics, but also for school activities, community events, and countless memories made by our students, staff, families and alumni,” Gray wrote in the letter.
Gray said the district will continue to provide updates on the construction timeline and the gym’s reopening as more information becomes available.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.
