GILL — Degrading floor tiles in Gill Elementary School have raised safety concerns, and will require a replacement by the town this summer for a price likely over $100,000.
The problem is that the tiles contain asbestos, a material that was commonly used in tiles until the 1980s, when it was found that degrading asbestos can be hazardous if inhaled.
The eventual replacement of the tiles has been on the town’s agenda for several years, according to Greg Snedeker, chair of Gill’s Capital Improvement Planning Committee and also a member of the Selectboard. (The school building is owned by Gill, and leased to the Gill-Montague Regional School District.)
However, the issue has become more urgent recently, as the tiles have suddenly begun to degrade noticeably. This seems to be related to new ventilation systems installed in the building amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which are drying the tiles and causing them to peel from the floor, Snedeker explained.
“(New ventilation) has changed the nature of the airflow going through the building,” Snedeker said. “If (the tiles) start to peel off, then asbestos becomes an issue.”
The damage is contained to one room, which has been locked to staff and students, Snedeker said. Reviews of the building by the town and the school district’s Facilities Management Department have found that there is no danger in the rest of the building, Snedeker said.
“At this point, it’s not a danger to students,” he said.
Gill Elementary School Principal Lisa Desjarlais, Gill-Montague Facilities Manager Heath Cummings and Superintendent Brian Beck could not be reached for comment.
Addressing the problem permanently will most likely be a project for this summer, when students will not be in the building and construction can be done, Snedeker said.
That would put it at the beginning of the 2022 fiscal year, which starts in July. Snedeker said he expects funding for the project to be on the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting, which is typically in May.
The cost and scope of the project are not yet clear, he said. Broadly, the two options are either to fully replace the tiling, or to seal it with epoxy or a similar substance. Both are common solutions to the issue that Gill Elementary is having, Snedeker said.
Different options are still being considered by the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, and so the cost is not known yet, Snedeker said.
“I really expect it to be six figures,” he said. “Where, I don’t know. It depends on how much of the building we’re going to do and what solution we’re going to go with.”
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.