THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 TAG: 9502080548
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 28 lines
The number of portable classrooms dotting school grounds in the city could be reduced by nearly 50 percent over the next five to seven years, school officials said Tuesday.
The figures are tentative and depend on how fast student enrollment grows in the city and how much money the School Board gets to pay for building projects over the next few years.
But the estimate should come as welcome news to parents, who have expressed concern to board members and the City Council about crowding in schools.
The council, which learned of the projection Tuesday during a joint meeting with the board, made it a priority during a recent council retreat.
``We are committed to reducing the inventory'' of portable classrooms, said Vice Mayor Arthur Dwyer.
Schools officials said they hoped to reduce the number of portables from 332 citywide to around 182, although they cautioned that their projections of student enrollment could be somewhat low. by CNB