Renovation work on the Hermitage Springs gym floor is scheduled to begin August 10 to address safety concerns caused by decades of wear and tear.
Director of Schools Diana Monroe said the floor has reached a point where the surface was peeling, necessitating a full sanding and refinishing process. Monroe said the new floor will be a much-needed improvement.
“Dr. (Pat) Teeples mentioned that we start the gym floor I believe August the 10th,” Monroe said. “So we’re excited about getting a new gym floor for the work on that at Hermitage Springs School.”
The floor was last sanded down to the wood and completely refinished in 1993. Steeples said while the district performs light sanding and adds a fresh coat of finish to its gym floors every year, the buildup of those coats over time eventually requires a total restoration.
“Each year it gets a light sand and a refinished coat and over time that coat would build up, and that’s why Hermitage Springs had to be done now because it started peeling up, it became a safety issue,” Steeples said. “I would say (it lasts) 25 to 30 years typically to go down to the paint.”
“That Hermitage Springs floor has really held up well, 30 something years,” Monroe said. “That’s been outstanding.”
Steeples said the school district invests yearly maintenance costs into every gymnasium floor.
“It’s not cheap, it’s not as affordable as it used to be either, but yeah they all get a maintenance coat on them,” Steeples said.
The board also approved a list of non-faculty and volunteer coaches for fall and winter sports. High School Principal Carl Ledbetter said student participation in athletics is high following the dead period, noting that the football program has seen its highest turnout in years with some 40 students participating. Ledbetter said the participation numbers are a positive sign for Clay County athletics.
“I coached for four years and to my knowledge since I’ve been here, it’s the highest numbers we’ve ever seen which is very encouraging,” Ledbetter said.
Additionally, Monroe said the district has successfully filled all teaching and staff positions for the upcoming school year. Monroe said Clay County is currently fully staffed, unlike other districts in the region still seeking licensed educators.
“Now, you know how it goes, daily people can walk through the door and say ‘I’ve retired’ or whatever, but as of Monday, we are 100% staffed in Clay County, unlike many counties in the Upper Cumberland that don’t have enough licensed teachers yet, and they’re still working on that,” Monroe said.
Courtney Pritchett will service as the county’s new PE and Junior High boy’s basketball coach, along with Mark Ashlock as her assistant.