Article 5

Shall the Pelham School District vote to raise and appropriate the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000)? The said sum of money is the amount necessary to purchase and install two double relocatable classroom building units at Pelham High School, which will contain a total of four classrooms. 

• Recommended by the Pelham School Board
• Not Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee

Status

• Originator: School Board
• School Board: 5-0-0
• Budget Committee: 1-8-0
• Town Meeting: N/A

Voter's Guide Explanation

This article provides for the purchase of two sets of portable, relocatable classrooms for use at Pelham High School. A total of four classrooms would be available, as each set provides two classrooms.

The new classrooms would provide relief to overcrowding problems. They would be used during every class period every day. They would be located at the far end of the parking lot, which would necessitate the relocation of existing storage containers. This article would assist Pelham High School in the accreditation process by providing adequate, required classroom space. Upon completion of a new high school, the portable classroom will be used at Pelham Memorial to assist with space concerns while the existing high school is renovated for a 7th and 8th-grade facility.

Backup Data

These classrooms would serve as an immediate solution to the severe overcrowding issue at Pelham High School. In addition to being used during every class period, they would be used by all major subject areas. There would be no loss of existing parking spaces and would pose a minimal impact on building security and easy access for students.

These classrooms will help bring Pelham High School into compliance for accreditation purposes in 2008.

The consequences of not having these classrooms will be evident in the following ways during the 2006 to 2007 school year:

1. The librarian's office will be used for classroom space for two periods a day
2. Classes will be held in the library, limiting the use of the facility
3. Classes will be held in the cafeteria
4. Classes will be held in the in-school suspension area, which will eliminate this program
5. Students will have a lower probability of being able to repeat a course if they fail, as classroom space may limit their ability to re-enroll in a failed class

In addition, in the event that the current Pelham High School is converted to a school for grades 7 and 8, the classrooms could be relocated to Pelham Memorial School during construction to alleviate overcrowding at that school.