(Note: On November 12, Town Meeting did vote to appropriate $1.3 million to install a new maple wood court as part of the already-approved field house floor and bleacher renovation)
During a School Committee meeting held on October 10th, the topic of the Field House renovation, approved back in May of 2024 by the Town Meeting members, took center stage as an increase in projected costs surfaced.
In May, the town meeting members approved this $1.9 million renovation to replace the RMHS field house bleachers and 19 year old current floor. However, the school department now intends to ask Town Meeting members to appropriate an additional $1.3 million to make the center basketball and volleyball court a wood court.
After researching other options, the superintendent says the maple wood floor for the center basketball court made the most sense. The reason this material would cost more money is because the contractor would have to dig down an extra foot before building it back up to be level with the track.
This revised renovation points towards replacing the “aging floor” as well as the . This project will require significant structural changes to account for the new and improved design. Along with this comes financial escalation which has raised multiple concerns alongside safety, longevity, and ADA compliance issues. Furthermore, a debate has risen: Is the wood floor really worth the cost?
Wood flooring has many advantages, but the prominent reason lies in the safety of athletes using the floor. The subfloor and maple can be optimized to provide the best shock absorption to protect athletes’ joints. However, synthetic floors can be designed with specific performance characteristics in mind, such as enhanced grip or increased shock absorption.
Mrs. Hopkinson, head coach of the RMHS Varsity Girls Volleyball team, voices her thoughts on the renovation. She says, “I think it’s long overdue. The fieldhouse floor is used almost everyday of the year: all day for P.E, after school for athletics and then the community. And it has not been renovated in a long time.”
“In addition to the many utilizations of the field house floor,” Mrs. Hopkinson continues, “There are so many injuries due to the poor support underneath the current floor.” Hoping for hardwood floors, Mrs. Hopkinson believes, “It will be an asset to the athletes, the school, and the whole community.”
Senior Marlie Carey plays on the RMHS Girls Volleyball team and she takes a different stance on the floor. She says, “I feel like the synthetic floor is easier to play volleyball on and will hold up better overtime versus a wood floor.” Carey adds, “In other schools, dust accumulates on the wood floor which can make it harder to run and dive on when playing volleyball.”
According to sports court contractor CBA Sports, synthetic floors need to be maintained regularly and completely replaced when they’re damaged, unlike wood floors, which can be partially replaced. Wood floors are, however, more expensive than synthetic floors are, but their longevity makes it worthwhile.
There will be another town meeting regarding this renovation on November 12. If approved, the actual project is planned to take place in the summer of 2025.
