Hoosac Valley to remove end hoops and repair cracked middle school gym beam after structural review

Aaron Dean, representing facilities, told the Hoosac Valley Regional School District Maintenance Subcommittee on Jan. 6 that the district has received quotes to assess and repair a cracked glulam beam in the middle school gym. He said the district will remove the main basketball hoops from each end of the gym because the hoops’ weight has been identified as a stressor on the beam.

Dean said the district intends to hire Soullierre Zepka to repair the cracked beam on the east end according to drawings and specifications provided by Hill Engineering, and to obtain a second structural assessment of the gym beams to consider other options for hoop installations at each end. He also reported that he has reached out to Garland’s engineering team for information on prior replacements and any differences in hoop weights.

Facilities Director Bob Flaherty confirmed the repair plan and recommended proceeding with the contractor selected to follow the Hill Engineering specifications. No final timetable or contract award was recorded during the meeting; Dean presented quotes and recommended next steps for the committee to consider.

The district’s immediate actions are safety-focused and procedural: remove the end hoops to reduce load, complete the specified repair, and secure an independent structural assessment to guide longer-term options. The committee did not vote on a contract at the Jan. 6 meeting; staff said they would return with further information and recommendations.