School district reaches settlement for faulty gym floor

SALEM The school district has grudgingly reached a settlement over the improper installation of the gym floor at the Lancaster Elementary School.

It has been a frustrating experience with the installation and failure of the mondo-synthetic floor, said Superintendent Michael Delahanty.

For the better part of two years, Delahanty said the district has struggled with Business Interiors of Massachusetts, the company that installed the floor, as well as with the company that supplied the adhesive for the floor.

While the company did attempt to patch several areas of the gym floor where it had lifted from the base, Delahanty said those attempts were ultimately a failure.

Delahanty said the district eventually contacted Gilbane Construction, the construction manager for the renovation project at the Lancaster School. During that time, the district also moved forward with the installation of a more expensive wood floor for the gym, similar to the gym floors at the more rececently renovated Fisk and Soule elementary schools.

Gilbane helped the district arrangea $25,000 settlement for the faulty flooring. Delahanty said that figure represents the $32,000 cost of a new synthetic flooring minus 20 percent installation and labor costs.

We tried to get that number increased a little, but there was no budging from that $25,000 figure, said Delahanty.

If the district were to attempt to litigate to try to get a larger settlement, Delahanty said it would be likely the district would end up spending more money than it was worth in legal fees.

School Board member Pamela Berry voted to accept the settlement, but said the whole process had put a bitter taste in her mouth.

I feel like the district was taken advantage of with the faulty installation, and no one stepped forward to own up to it, said Berry.

Read more:
School district reaches settlement for faulty gym floor