Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/90018
Sarasota News Leader October 26, 2012 The study recommended the "elimination of the use of portables where possible." It added, "The use of portables for short term fluctuations in enrollments is a generally ac- cepted practice. However, if the portables be- come a permanent part of the school, or if they house more than ten percent of the en- rollment, the use of portables is seen to have negative effects on the educational environ- ment. Portables tend to separate teachers from the rest of the school and do not encour- age teamwork among teachers or students. The use of portable also overtaxes the support facilities (e.g. the cafeteria, library, gym) since those spaces were not designed to accommo- Page 39 date the increased number of students housed in the portables." The April demolition approval was just one action the School Board has taken in response to the report. Ken Marsh, the director of long- range planning for the school district, wrote in an update to the MGT study that 25 porta- bles were scheduled to be demolished over the summer, with another 65 expected to be eliminated in the summer of 2013. While it appears many schools in Sarasota County are seeing a leveling off of student en- rollment, another driving force for eliminating portables is cost. The MGT study says, "Based