Third-graders Caron Kranovich and Jackson Fleming sign the underside of the new gym floor at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School in Davenport.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — For the first time in school history, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School’s gymnasium has a hardwood floor. To mark that special occasion, students, faculty, staff and Father Bruce DeRammelaere, the pastor, signed the floor’s underside.
When the school’s rubberized gym surface needed replacement, “We decided to do a wood floor for a few reasons,” Principal Julie Delaney said. “The first is that a wood floor has a longer lifetime than the rubberized floor and second, at this time, the cost of the wood floor was less than that of a rubberized surface.” Previously, installation of a wood floor was cost prohibitive.
Supply chain issues delayed installation of the new floor from last summer to this past September. Total cost of the project was $45,450, which included flooring, safety mats, a freshly painted gym, a scoreboard and installation/labor. The school received a Scott County Regional Authority grant for $33,696. The Home and School Association raised the remaining funds through its annual Day of Awesomeness event.
Workers installed the new floor over the rubberized floor. There will be a blessing and grand reopening of the gym after installation of the safety mats, Delaney said. Meanwhile, students, staff and faculty signed the backside of the updated Panther logo in the center of the gym and under the basketball hoops. “Everyone was very excited to think that when the floor is pulled up for a new one 50 years from now, their names will all be there.”
Physical education teacher Noah Bevins said among the benefits to the new gym floor is a safer surface. “It has traction and grip so students are not slipping or falling. It’s also easier to maintain in terms of daily cleaning. Overall, it is a very durable floor that can be used for any activity or event. The lifespan of a wood floor is 40-50 years, compared to the previous surface, which was 15 years. The students love the floor and are excited to use it.”
“I think that it is cool that 50 years from now, people can pull up the floor and see the names of the students from 50 year ago,” fourth-grader Anna Bush said. Classmate Anna Cluff said, “I think it’s cool because you could be walking on your name.” Student Easton Stork said, “It feels like I will always be here.”
“When the floor comes out in the future, we will be the age of the people who are taking it out,” said seventh-grader Gage Gleize. Fifth-grader Leo Heuer said, “It’s cool that a part of us will be in the school after we graduate.”
