BISD School board to tackle portable question

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School board to tackle portable question

By Criselda Valdez

The Brownsville Herald

When the 2002-2003 school year begins next month, BISD officials expect to

house all Besteiro Middle School students at the same location for the first

time since January.

Besteiro's campus, currently split between two separate locations, is

scheduled to receive 10 more portable classrooms, pending Brownsville

Independent School District board approval tonight during a regular meeting.

With that, sixth, seventh and eighth graders will be together next to the

Aiken Elementary-Besteiro campus on Southmost Road.

According to agenda documents, the campus is " in dire need of more portable

buildings so that the eighth-grade students can be housed in the same campus

with other Besteiro Middle School students. "

The BISD, upon approval, is scheduled to pay no more than $414,020 to

RAMTECH Building Systems for the 10 portable classrooms. The fee includes

the cost and transport of each building -$39,137 per classroom - and the

assembly fee of $2,265 per building.

Because of consistent mold problems at Besteiro and Aiken Elementary School,

students from both schools were moved to different locations within the

district in January.

While classes are scheduled to begin August 21, district officials have yet

to announce the fate of the two schools.

The entire Aiken student body and faculty currently report to 42 portable

buildings on the Morningside Elementary School campus.

Since the start of the spring semester, sixth graders at Besteiro were

initially housed in 22 portable buildings next to the closed campus.

Seventh-grade classes were held at the BISD Alternative Education Center,

before moving back to the Besteiro campus with the sixth-grade students.

Eighth-grade students attended classes at High School.

There are currently 49 portable classroom buildings on the Besteiro

temporary campus.

School board trustees are also scheduled to approve Dr. Americo Paredes

Elementary School and portions of Dr. t V. Middle School as

substantially complete tonight.

Middle School and Paredes Elementary School are expected to open

their doors in August for the upcoming school year.

According to the district, will be accepted in four sections. The

first section is a two-story classroom wing; the second area is the

administration and library area. The third is the band hall, choir and

gymnasium area and the last section is the dressing and shower areas.

A campus walk through of Paredes Elementary is scheduled for this morning,

while one for Middle School will be scheduled for a later date.