News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alpena Public Schools Associate Superintendent for Business and Operations Mary Lyon shows board members Tom Hilberg, Treasurer Gordon Snow and President Ned Heath during a special board meeting Tuesday what the new tile for Ella White Elementary School will look like.

ALPENA — Alpena Public Schools officials plan to squeeze in one more renovation project at Ella White Elementary School before school begins on Aug. 30.

District officials plan to remove the carpeting and replace it with tiling throughout the elementary school.

The APS Board of Education on Tuesday agreed to spend a little over $192,000 on the project. The board approved Abatement and Demolition Services, Inc. to remove the asbestos tile for $64,624 and the glue holding the tile down for $28,645.

The board also agreed Alpena-based Stanson Floor Covering and Furniture will install the new flooring for $99,145. The district will use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to pay for the project.

“We have to pull up the carpeting and, of course, the tile below has asbestos in it,” Superintendent Dave Rabbideau said. “So as we pull up the carpeting, the tile is going to come with it and release asbestos, so we have to go through asbestos abatement.”

New tile will then be installed in place of the carpet. Rabbideau said stipulations tied to the ESSER funding prefer tile be installed over carpeting, because of health concerns.

Rabbideau said work could begin as soon as today and anticipates asbestos abatement, and possibly one or two classrooms, will be complete in time for school to begin. The rest of the work will be completed during times students and staff are not in the classrooms.

“The abatement is going to be done 100% before anyone comes into the building,” he said. “The tile will be laid over the next couple of weeks — on nights, weekends.”

The project was not part of the original construction plan — which is being paid for with bond funds — but has been added because of deteriorating carpeting.

Meanwhile, Rabbideau said he expects to have a certificate of occupancy for Ella White, Lincoln and Wilson elementary school when the school year begins. He said construction crews would likely be completing some punch list items at each school after the school year begins.