BISD bond issue could erase 'trailer park'

Updated 10/13/2007 10:52:08 PM CDT

BEAUMONT - Metal-walled, metal-roofed classrooms plopped atop cinder blocks at schools citywide bear the name portable buildings, but some teachers have not seen them move in more than a decade.

"We're used to our portable city, our trailer park," said Richard Byars, a Caldwood Elementary fifth-grade teacher whose classroom has been the same portable for 14 years.   In the same school, down a plywood walkway, Byars' wife, Kristin Byars, has another portable for another fifth-grade class.

She has paper wads jammed into ceiling tiles to try to keep wasps from flying in. Termites colonized behind a map on the wall earlier this year, she said. She points to another spot where the wall buckles inward because of excess moisture.

"We need a new school bad," Kristin Byars said.

If voters approve a $388.6 million school bond issue Nov. 6, part of the money would go toward replacing all 200-plus portable buildings in the Beaumont Independent School District with permanent structures.

"No more portables" has become a continuing refrain when Dr. David Teuscher, co-chair of the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee, makes presentations to urge people to vote "yes."

Some teachers like their portables, but permanent buildings provide a better learning environment with fewer distractions from things like noisy, older air-conditioning units, Superintendent Carrol Thomas said.

"It's just a better environment and a healthier environment when you talk about healthy buildings," Thomas said.

Permanent buildings, with classrooms opening to a central hallway rather than to the outdoors, also are easier to keep safe and secure. The only way to lock down most of Caldwood Elementary is to make sure each classroom door stays locked, Principal Jim Melanson said.

If voters authorize the district to borrow $388.6 million by passing the bond issue, Caldwood is among the campuses with the most portables to lose. The school has 19 portable buildings, and one wing of its permanent structure is a metal building atop a slab instead of cinder blocks.

The bond proposal puts the biggest emphasis, 56 percent of the spending, on elementary schools. Nine new elementary schools are part of the package.

Amelia Elementary would get a new school for 750 students at the existing site, replacing eight portables and construction from 1913.

Blanchette Elementary, which has no portables, would combine with Bingman Elementary in a new school for 550 students at the Blanchette site. Bingman, which has eight portables, would become the new home of Southerland Head Start, a campus for 3- and 4-year-olds with 27 portables.

However, Bingman might not have enough space for the program. The campus has enough permanent building space for 363 students. Head Start enrollment is about 510.

Caldwood Elementary would get a new school for 550 students at the existing site, replacing 19 portables and construction from 1958.

Sallie Curtis Elementary would get a new school for 550 students at the existing site, replacing 11 portables and construction from 1956.

Dunbar Elementary, which has three portables, would combine with Ogden Elementary, which has six portables, in a new school for 750 students at the Dunbar site. The future use or sale of Ogden would be determined later.

Fehl Elementary, which has eight portables, would combine with Price Elementary, which has no portables, in a new school for 750 students at the Fehl site. The future use or sale of Price would be determined later.

French Elementary, which has one portable, would combine with Field Elementary, which has three portables, in a new school for 750 students at the French site. Field would become the new administration annex site.

Martin Elementary, which has five portables, would combine with Lucas Elementary, which has six, in a new school for 750 students at the Martin site. Lucas would become the site of the Pathways alternative school.

Regina-Howell, which has 11 portables, would get a new school for 750 students at a new, larger site.

Also on the elementary level, Fletcher would get a new 20-classroom wing to replace about the same number of portable buildings and Homer Drive Elementary, which has no portables and is about 180 students under capacity now, would get a new 10-classroom wing.
 
Thomas said the Homer expansion is planned to prevent the new French-Field elementary and the new Martin-Lucas elementary, also are in the north end of the city, from being overcrowded.

"We can zone some of those kids to Homer," Thomas said. "We're going to have to make some changes."

Thomas acknowledged there might be some oversights and errors in the $388.6 million budget, but said that is why contingency funds always are built into a project of this magnitude.

"I think the thing's properly planned to the hilt," Thomas said. "I think there are things we're just going to have to make adjustments to as we do this."


Updated 10/13/2007 10:52:08 PM CDT