Estill County board approves plan to site temporary modular middle school

The Estill County Board of Education on June 18 authorized district staff to work with Kentucky State Emergency Management to site and install a temporary modular campus for the county middle school.

Board members discussed a plan to use modular classroom units on a district-owned site near the football field, with staff saying site preparation is expected to begin this summer. Board members and staff said the district’s agreement with the state allows emergency-management teams to set up well-built modular classrooms; staff described them as comparable to traditional buildings in classroom size, hallways and bathrooms. The district estimated a target of Sept. 1 for the site to be ready but noted the schedule could shift, with “no later than Octoberish, Novemberish” as a fallback.

Superintendent Mr. Brock and staff said the temporary campus will include a constructed severe-weather shelter on site that can double as a cafeteria, and that the temporary facilities would have serving lines and warmers (the full kitchen at the middle school would continue to prepare meals for transport). Engineers and state emergency-management personnel have reviewed structural and site plans, and staff said dirt-moving and site-preparation work could start within weeks.

Board members also discussed long-term options for the modular units after the new middle school opens: the district could keep some or all units for other uses (pre-K, daycare, central office, a success academy), lease them temporarily, return them to the supplier, or sell surplus units back to recover funds. The board voted to approve moving forward with the state partnership and site work.

The motion to authorize work with Kentucky State Emergency Management carried; the board did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes beyond noting the motion carried. Staff said the state-managed setup would be zero cost to the district for installation and site work and emphasized that the district retains control over final site selection if a proposed location proves unsuitable.

Next procedural steps: staff will begin site prep and continue coordination with state emergency-management engineers and the district’s architect; the board will receive updates as the project advances.