Board declares emergency after McBride gym floor floods, approves repairs

The Muscle Shoals Board of Education voted unanimously to declare an emergency after a condensing coil in an overhead heating unit at McBride Elementary School gymnasium burst earlier this year, leading officials to say the gym floor is irreparable and must be replaced.

Superintendent (name not specified) told the board that “an insurance adjuster and the floor manufacturer have deemed the floor irreparable and it will need to be replaced,” and recommended an emergency declaration so repairs could proceed without delay.

The emergency declaration was moved by Mr. King and seconded by Mr. Woods; the board approved the declaration by voice vote. Later in the meeting the board approved the consent agenda, which included accepting bids for gym floor repairs; the superintendent recommended awarding the lower of two bids included in the packet. Board member Mr. Wood moved the consent agenda; Dr. Stoddard seconded, and the consent agenda passed by voice vote.

The board did not state the winning bidder’s name or the contract amount in the public discussion. The superintendent said the floor was exposed to elevated moisture for several hours before discovery and that the manufacturer and insurer deemed it irreparable; no timetable for replacement or dates for work to begin were specified in the meeting record.

The emergency declaration allows the district to proceed under applicable emergency contracting processes, as the superintendent described; no specific statute or procurement rule was cited in the public remarks.

The board also approved a separate construction contract included on the consent agenda for plumbing upgrades and renovations described in the packet as a DCM project; details and contract award information were included in board materials but not read aloud during the public meeting.