Two years ago City Schools of Decatur Superintendent David Dude said he hoped to remove all modular classroom units after the 2018-19 school year. Though it hasn’t worked out that way, modulars have been cut in half since August 2016.
During a recent interview with the AJC Dude wasn’t willing to pinpoint a new date for total modular elimination except to say, “We want to get rid of all modulars at some point.
“They are a lot less expensive than building classrooms,” he said, “but they should never be thought of as a long-term solution for facility needs. Modulars are good for fluctuations in enrollment and accommodating need while you’re planning for permanent facilities.
“But we are also real cognizant that we don’t build more than we need,” he added. “So we are trying to walk that line between [not over building and not having an excess of modulars”].”
CSD opened the 2016-17 year with 36 modulars during a period of extensive construction, particularly at Renfroe Middle and Decatur High Schools. As of this month that number’s been whittled down to 16 or 18, depending on how many are eventually used at Fifth Avenue Elementary. These figures don’t include six modulars at the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center that are nearly two decades old and practically part of the permanent landscape.
The breakdown on modulars: four at Winnona Park, four at Oakhurst and 10 at Fifth Avenue, but only about half are getting used. At some point this year, Dude said, four to six of those will get removed. There are also four at Glennwood, but Dude said these aren’t particularly needed.
“Part of our fall facilities planning will include figuring out what to do with the modulars [at Glennwood and College Heights],” Dude said. “We are using them because they are there and because they are incredibly expensive to remove. In the case of College Heights, the topography makes it very tough getting those modulars out. So right now, we’re just trying to decide whether it’s smarter to leave them there.”
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