File Photo: Modular classrooms at Decatur High School occupied while additional classrooms are built. (Source: chroniccomplainer492.)

This story has been updated. 

City Schools of Decatur is asking the Winnona Park and Oakhurst Elementary school leadership teams to weigh in on the placement of portable classrooms.

During the March 8 School Board meeting, the board voted to approve a $2.3 million contract with Mobile Modular for 16 portables. That contract price is higher than the $1.9 million that was quoted on the School Board’s agenda prior to the March 8 meeting.  Originally, the agenda item did not identify Winnona Park as a possible location for the portables. The four portables were going to be located at Oakhurst. Now it will be located at a “south side elementary [to be determined],” according to the revised agenda.

Superintendent David Dude said the cost of putting portables Winnona Park would be higher, hence the increased cost of the contract.

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The school leadership teams at these schools will play some role in determining where the portables go, Dude said. According to CSD spokesperson Courtney Burnett, SLT’s have five to seven members, including teachers, principals, parents, community members and one non-voting central office representative.

School Board Chair Annie Caiola questioned the idea of having two SLT’s from different schools help make the decision regarding placement of portables.

“I sort of wonder what we expect to come from putting both of these SLT’s together and asking them to decide who wants modulars,” Caiola said. “Does there become a self-interested conflict in asking these two groups to decide for themselves?”

Dude said he thinks it’s important to have feedback on the decision.

“There’ve been a lot of conversations about Oakhurst [Elementary]. How big is it OK for Oakhurst to get? You still have one cafeteria,” Dude said. “If you put them at Winnona Park, which students are going to go there? Are you going to temporarily change boundaries? I decided it was best to let people closest to the issue weigh in on possible solutions there.”

He added, “It may turn into a cage match we can sell tickets to or something.”

Of the remaining portables, six will go to the 4/5 Academy and six will go to Decatur High.

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