Owensville Middle School (OMS) is expected to receive a complete gym floor remodel by August, after a moisture issue in the spring and summer of 2025 rendered the hardwood surface irreparable. The district’s insurance provider, Missouri United School Insurance Council (MUSIC), is paying for the project.

Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy said on Tuesday morning that they tried to trace the source of the humidity last summer when they attempted to fix the floor.

“Somehow, there was a high amount of humidity under the gym floor, which caused it to buckle,” Hardy said, adding that they weren’t for sure where the moisture was coming from initially. “The HVAC system was inside the gym and would leak, drawing moisture to gather under the gym floor.”

Over time, the wood floor began to warp.

“It got to where it buckled,” Hardy said. “We closed it down before school started in August. We had put a lot of weight on it to try to make it go back to a normal floor, but it wouldn’t.”

A secondary discussion speculated that the water issue could have been caused by flooding near the corner exterior exit, but further investigation revealed that it was unlikely.

“We really believe it was the HVAC system because it has drawn condensation,” Hardy explained. “That’s where the largest amount of condensation was when we measured in the gym. Even if we had the pipes wrapped, the moisture would still get on that gym floor.”

While the gym continues to be in use during physical education classes, the floor is not suitable for sporting events.

“We have been using the gym, but we’ve not been using it for games and things like that,” she said. “We had to cut out sections from the sides of the wall so the wood could contract and expand, so we could use the floor for physical education purposes.”

Deciding the floor would require a more extensive fix, school officials contacted the district’s insurance agency, MUSIC, and were informed the cost of replacing and installing a new floor would be covered.

During the bid application process, repairing the OMS gym’s concrete subfloor, which has traditionally had issues with “dead spots” that negated the space as usable for basketball games, was also included.

“They are going to redo all of that (the concrete subfloor underneath the gym floor),” Hardy said.

Gasconade County R-2 Board of Education members discussed the project and bids at the Dec. 15 meeting, where they approved a $169,900 bid to Missouri Floor Company. Of that amount, $154,900 was the cost to replace the floor, and another $15,000 was allocated to first repair the subfloor.

Currently, the OMS gym houses an HVAC system in the rafters, which is believed to be the cause of the moisture damage. Hardy said that it will be relocated to an exterior location.

“The HVAC system isn’t going back in the gym,” she said. “It was under a different bid.”

The board awarded the new HVAC installation bid at $295,074 to Heritage Mechanical Services. According to the bidder, the scope of the project is extensive.

“The supply air ductwork will come out the bottom of the unit and elbow north toward the gym, penetrate out of the north side of the curb, and run as exposed duct to the location where the supply air will penetrate the gym’s exterior wall,” the bid scope outlined. “Once inside the building, the transition will be made from square to round so that the fabric duct can run from north to south, along with the opposite exterior walls of the gym. Black is the assumed, desired color.”

Once the exterior duct is completed and thoroughly sealed, Thermal Tech, Inc., is to follow by installing one-inch thick insulation board, and wrap it in aluminum jacketing per the issued specifications for the project.

Additionally, new return air penetrations will be cut into the gym wall, extending from the main gym area and into the above ceiling portion of the locker rooms. Welded steel sleeves will be inserted in the new penetrations to ensure the integrity of the hole, as well as in the supply air penetrations that will extend from above the south roof and into the main area of the gym.

New gas lines, electrical, thermostats and controls were also outlined in the bid specifications.

The company is also responsible for a dumpster rental for disposal during the project, painting and wall touch-up as needed, gas line painting, owner training, subcontractor coordination, firestopping, final cleaning and new filters upon project turnover.

“(Air flow) will still come in through the gym, but we won’t have to worry about condensation,” Hardy said.

The new floor will be the same hardwood as the other buildings.

“We will be putting in new bleachers at OMS, paid for out of the capital improvements fund,” Hardy added.

OMS administrators have discussed the aging bleachers as far back as the 2015 no-tax-issue bond request. When the project is done, the space is expected to be usable for sporting events.

“They will be able to have competitions in that gym instead of relocating,” Hardy said. “For larger tournaments, they will still have to use the Owensville Elementary School (OES) gym. The new bleachers at OMS will be a four-stack across one side.”

Work is expected to begin on the project this spring.

“It should be done by August,” Hardy said, “Hopefully sooner, by July, but we are shooting for August.”

The board approved the bids with separate 6-0 votes on Dec. 15 at the Administration Building.

OMS isn’t the only district gymnasium that is receiving a remodel. After completing the Owensville High School (OHS) gym over the summer of 2025, the board approved the Gerald Elementary School (GES) gym remodel in fall 2025.

“At the GES gym, the bleachers are not in, but everything else is done,” she said. “Looking at a grand opening for March 6 during the Penny Fair.”

Hardy said the district is glad it can make improvements with capital funds.

“The improvements we’ve made around the district with the remodel of GES gym, adding the remodel bathroom and teachers’ lounge, and updating the nurses’ bathroom at the high school, along with the Career Technology Expansion (CTE) at OHS, have been great additions to the district and will help provide out students and staff with updated facilities,” Hardy said.

Installation of new stadium lights on Dutchmen Field is also scheduled to begin this spring.