Modular Buildings Help a Classroom Space Crunch
Faced with a rising number of elementary students coming up through the ranks, school officials at Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle School are trying to figure out how to deal with an increased number of middle-school students expected to hit in two years. Since the 2006-2007 school year, the number of students in kindergarten through fourth grade has risen by 725, from 5,173 to 5,898 last year.
Seeking financial help from the Massachusetts School Building Authority could be one option. The School Committee voted to submit the $250 million high school project as its priority, so the middle-school projects will take the back burner.
One alternative could be modular classrooms, which the Daley, Wang and Butler schools used to have. “Modular buildings have worked for us in the past,” said Deputy Superintendent Jay Lang. “Modular school construction has come a long way, too. It’s not like a trailer.”
Right now, there is not a lot of open property to build additional schools, Lang said. Instead, a solution might be to build additions at schools such as the Wang and Daley so two more classes could be added in each grade.
Full Story: Lowell Sun