Abatement Complete on MES Gymnasium Floor, Installation Begins Wednesday

McKENZIE (July 29) — The first stage of a project to replace the gymnasium floor at McKenzie Elementary School was completed Wednesday. The meticulous process of asbestos abatement was carried out over three days by SEG, Inc.

Removal of the existing floor required extensive safety precautions and special equipment to prevent contamination, including monitoring the air throughout the building during and after the process.

The next stage, installation of the new flooring, begins Wednesday, August 5, and is expected to be completed within two weeks. The floor will be resurfaced by Covington Flooring Company with a rubber base mat covered by a poured urethane topcoat.

Principal Tonya Brown spoke to The Banner about the challenges of beginning the new school year on Tuesday with the project ongoing.

Normally, the kids would gather in the gym for afternoon dismissal and car riders would be called out as their guardians arrive.

Brown said, "Now dismissal's going to be in the hall, but we already have that procedure in place and have already gone over it with teachers. So we're gonna make it work, we've done it before.

Another hurdle will be compliance with physical activity requirements while the gym is unavailable, especially with the August heat affecting outdoor activities. "For P.E., we've designated them to go in one of our empty bigger classrooms. Depending on the heat, they can go out to the track and walk for a little bit and then go back in where it's cooler and they can do other activities."

Overall, Principal Brown was excited for the update. "It's gonna be great. In the end, we're going to have a new floor that looks awesome; we're gonna have new curtains. We're going to have some new technology going in there, and that's going to have an impact when we have our Veterans Day programs or any awards programs, our Kindergarten program. Our Rebel Singers perform there for the parents. It's just going to be a whole different atmosphere, and it's gonna look beautiful. It's been a long time coming."