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Project team says 56 modular classrooms represent peak need; some CTE programs could be displaced
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Summary
SMMA and district staff told the community that commonly cited totals (about 56 modular classrooms) represent the peak simultaneous need during construction; modulars are sized for 25 students and may not suit heavily equipment-dependent CTE programs, which could need off-site placements.
At the community meeting, Matt Rice of SMMA explained how modular classrooms would be deployed during construction and the expected operational constraints.
"What we're looking is sort of, like, the peak need, for the modular classrooms during the course of the construction... 56... these are already very, very high numbers of modular classrooms," Rice said, adding that the totals are peak, simultaneous needs rather than cumulative counts.
Rice said a single modular module is sized to function as a typical classroom and that two modules can be combined into a larger space for some specialized instruction. "We would have to combine two of them into a larger space... to provide adequate space for the instructional activities," he said, while noting programs that rely on specialized equipment — auto technology or culinary arts, for example — may not be practicable in a modular setup and could require off-site partner locations and additional transportation.
On class size, Rice said the district policy is to plan for 25 students per class at the high-school level (24 for labs), and that temporary modular classrooms would follow the same student-capacity assumptions.
Impacts the team flagged include transportation for students sent to off-site partner locations for certain CTE training, potential loss of instructional time during phases when large wings are offline, and general operational complexity for food service, staffing and safety while construction and occupied operations run in close proximity.
The project team said they are studying phasing approaches that could reduce modular needs by staging a multi-phase new construction so early-release areas open to students before full construction ends; such sequencing can lengthen overall construction duration and change contractor general-conditions costs.
Next steps: the team will present updated phasing diagrams and comparative cost estimates at building committee meetings in late April and May and will publish revised timelines and Q&A material on the project website.
