MISD board members at a Jan. 24 meeting approved fixing the damages caused from the pipes bursting, which caused “water intrusion” in several areas of both schools, according to meeting documents.
The main damage at Evans Middle School was caused by a sprinkler line break near the north entrance, which damaged the auxiliary and competition gym floors to a point they were “unsalvageable,” according to meeting documents.
Heaters were working at the vestibules, but the pipes still froze, district staff said.
“The heaters didn’t overcome the cold for some reason,” staff said.
Plans to add antifreeze are being looked at to prevent a similar freeze in the future, staff said.
The cost to replace both gym floors is estimated to be $122,250 and $167,890, respectively.
While the auxiliary gym floor should be replaced by the end of spring break, the competition gym floor will not be replaced until the school year ends in May. The plan to balance the two projects is for the competition gym to be used for regular PE classes until the auxiliary gym is finished, according to meeting documents.
Glen Oaks Elementary School had a water line and a sprinkler line break, but it did not cause permanent damage. However, emergency cleanup procedures to extract the water were taken for the school’s library, front offices, some classrooms, the gymnasium and some offices.
Procedures included relocating some furniture and bringing in dehumidifiers to fully clean and dry the affected areas, according to meeting documents. The emergency cleanup has since been completed.
The estimated cost to be given to Blackmon Mooring, the entity in charge of the cleanup, was $465,140.
