As per voter approval of a $1.995 million referendum on April 18, the school district accepted a bid Wednesday to rent 24 portable classrooms.
By: Marisa Maldonado
MONROE The school district agreed to rent 24 portable classrooms to accommodate growth, accepting a bid to rent the trailers at a cost of about $44,000 a month.
The Board of Education unanimously awarded the contract which also includes $138,500 to tear down and disconnect the trailers to M Space Inc. Wednesday.
The portable classrooms six each at Brookside and Barclay Brook schools, four at Monroe Township High School and a multi-purpose unit at Applegarth Middle School should be installed by September, Superintendent Ralph Ferrie said Wednesday.
Voters approved a $1.995 million referendum April 18 to rent, supply and staff the trailers.
The trailers are part of the district’s plan to accommodate growth. Administrators expect an additional 350 students to enroll by September.
More permanent efforts are under way the construction of a new high school across the street from the existing high school, scheduled to open in 2011, and an elementary school on Applegarth Road, which the district hopes to open in 2008.
The district hopes to go out to bid for both buildings in early winter, Dr. Ferrie said. Designs for both projects are about 80 percent complete, he said.
M Space was one of four companies to offer bids. The district looked into renting pre-owned trailers to save money but found most such trailers to be in poor condition, said Jerry Tague, director of facilities.
The district will rent the trailers on a year-to-year basis, based on growth, Mr. Tague said. The district currently uses 31 portable classrooms: 12 at Brookside, eight each at Applegarth and Barclay Brook and three at the high school.