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JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEKEnrollments in the county are outpacing building space, especially in middle schools.
With enrollment ever rising and space getting more cramped, the Hernando County school district is looking to expand its portable classroom inventory.
"We're as tight as a tick," facilities director Graydon Howe said Thursday. "We really don't have any choice."
The school with the largest request is not an elementary school, which might have seemed most likely given the School Board's months-long discussion about crowding at that level.
Rather, Powell Middle School, which last year had courses taught on the school stage and other areas, leads the list with six.
If approved, that addition would double the number of portable classrooms at the county's largest middle school.
Second on the list is Fox Chapel Middle, which has asked for four more portables. The first-year cost for just these two schools is estimated at $61,890.
"We don't just have an elementary school problem," said board Chairman John Druzbick, adding that the district's middle school population grew faster than elementary enrollment last year.
Druzbick called portable classrooms an unfortunate fact of life.
"Are we concerned? Yes. That's why we're looking for property," he said.
During the past school year, Pine Grove Elementary held 12 of its 43 homeroom classes in portables. Next year, that number could increase by two.
Principal Dave Dannemiller said the extra portables would help meet the goal of having all courses taught in classrooms, rather than in any available space.
If the School Board had approved attendance zone shifts, Pine Grove would have been able to get rid of some portables, Howe said. Instead, Dannemiller said, the school will look for someplace to put the buildings and find some way to deal with the continued crowding.
Some board members have said they would get some relief for Pine Grove and Floyd, which have lunch periods that begin before 11 a.m. and last until almost 2 p.m., among other situations that come with too many students and not enough space.
Dannemiller said he would welcome extra relief. He praised his staff for handling the tight squeeze with grace.
"The fact that there are families out there that don't want to leave Pine Grove (despite the crowding) speaks volumes," he said. "My staff does a wonderful job to get the job done."
Chocachatti Elementary may receive three portable classrooms - two to accommodate an 80-student increase the School Board mandated. Principal Michael Tellone actually asked for a fourth portable of nearly 1,000 square feet in which to hold dance classes, Howe said.
That request won't get to the board.
"Nobody else has it," Howe said. "We just have to go with what is designed for the facility."
One school that has been touted as under capacity also is in line to gain a portable.
Eastside Elementary, frequently mentioned as a school where additional children could be accepted, has asked for one portable. "The principal said, "If anyone says I have excess space, come out and look,"' Howe said. "So we went out and looked. They had some classes in unacceptable spaces."
The STAR Education Center, a last-chance alternative school, also has asked for one portable. STAR last year had to turn away students because it lacked space; board members have discussed moving the program into a larger building.
Schools have asked for 17 portable classrooms in 10 buildings. The five-year lease/purchase price is $615,683, and first-year setup costs are $129,570.
The School Board is scheduled to review the requests Tuesday. Members are scheduled to discuss construction projects totaling about $3.9-million on July 1.
- Jeffrey S. Solochek covers education and politics in Hernando County. He can be reached at 352 754-6115 or solochek@sptimes.com