An HCPSS BOE meeting document dated on March 8, 2018 outlined the portable classroom status for the year 2018-2019. We will have more than 222 portable classrooms in HCPSS.
I believe portable classroom is a safety concern, does not provide great learning environment and skews the capacity calculation. We should slowly reduce the number of portable classroom and eventually eliminate all of them.
Quick summary of portables in 2018-2019
Elementary School ( 130 total portables)
Only 7 (of 42 in total) elementary schools do not have portable classrooms. Fulton will have 9 portables in one year (considering the fast house development there). Pointers Run has 9 portables, Talbott Springs has 10 portables and Waverly ES has 9 portables.
Middle School ( total 47 portables)
There are 7 middle schools having no portables of 20 middle schools. Clarksville MS, Dunloggin MS, Harpers Choice MS all have 5 portables. Ellicott Mills MS, Glenwood MS and Murray Hill MS all have 6 portables.
High School ( 45 total portables)
Centennial High has 8, Hammond High has 4, Howard HS has 15, Long Reach HS has 8, Mount Hermon High and Reservoir both have 5 portables.
Quoted from the document:
“Principals requested an additional 26 relocatables to be placed (25 individual and one 9-unit modular) and 8 relocatables (7 individual and one 9-unit modular) to be removed. The estimated cost to buy and place, or remove, the relocatables by principals is approximately $4.4 million. The current budget request is $2.5 million. Not all of the requests can be accommodated based on budgetary limitations. So the movement of one modular building, the placement of fifteen (15) new single classroom units, and the demolition of six (6) units are recommended by staff.”
Attached is the official document for your reference.
Suzanne, thanks for your feedback. I am aware of it and paying close attention to it. This development will have a huge impact to those schools as you mentioned. I wish DPZ will consider our residents’ feedback and make adjustment.
Thank you for your excellent analysis. Are you aware of the proposed residential development of 400 homes on the corner of Gorman and Leishear Road? The current Milk Plant is being zoned for this project. This will have a huge impact on all schools in SE Howard County: HES,HMS, AHS, GCES, MH, RHS, HHS.