The District 205 school board approved today a Health Life Safety amendment to repair the floor of Thiel Gym at Galesburg High School.
Approving the amendment is a process the board has to go through with the Illinois State Board of Education so they can assure it’s in the guidelines for Health Life Safety work.
Even though replacing the floor will be covered by insurance Superintendent of Finance and Operations Jennifer Hamm says this process ensures that 205 would be approved if the district had unexpected additions they wanted to make.
Her estimate for floor pricing is around $240,000.
Hamm tells WGIL her goal is to get the floor installed by November 1, but when ISBE will approve the amendment is unclear.
“Typically, in situations like this when it is deemed somewhat of an emergency situation, the turnaround is within a couple of weeks,” Hamm says. “Now something on like a 10-year Health Life Safety Survey, that may be longer–six to eight weeks. It just depends on how busy the architects at ISBE are.”
When tax-payer owned facilities like the gym are altered they must be compliant with American Disabilities Act.
This will also require the district to purchase new bleachers in order to bring the gym up to code.
Hamm is unsure of a price at this point but says updating the bleachers was a part of a ten-year Health Life Safety survey done by Phillips & Associates architects and board approved in September.
Part of what the new bleachers mean is the front row being designated for spectators with disabilities.