Procedure

Procedure 6700.1 - Management of Portable Classrooms

1. CALIBRE OF PORTABLE CLASSROOMS

1.1.

To ensure the objective outlined in Policy #6700 – Management of Portable Classrooms is achieved, the Director, Physical Plant & Transportation Services, and the Associate Director, Business Management Services, shall jointly undertake periodic reviews of portable specifications to ensure that high standards of design, functionality and quality are maintained.

2. RECORDS TO BE MAINTAINED

2.1.

An inventory of portables shall be maintained by Business Management Services. Such inventory shall provide the following information:

a)	Identification of portable type (e.g. regular classroom, gym, washroom, counseling offices, etc.), size, and school district I.D. number, if applicable.
b)	Age of unit and the name of the manufacturer (if owned).
c)	Availability of washrooms.
d)	Type of heating/cooling system.
e)	Current quality.
f)	Name of owner, if rented.
g)	Current placement and date placed.

2.2.

Business Management Services will prepare and maintain a record providing the following information about the portables included in the inventory, on a site specific basis:

a)	Reason for placement.
b)	Duration of need (short, medium or long term placement).

3. RATIONALE FOR RETENTION AND PLACEMENT

3.1.

In keeping with the provisions of Policy #6700, the following rationale shall be used by management when deciding on retention and placement of portables:

a)	Review of the school facility to ensure that it is being utilized to its maximum potential and space is used in the most efficient and effective manner to minimize operating costs.
b)	Portables will automatically be approved if they are required to accommodate students and teachers to comply with any policy or other decision of the Ministry of Education or board when permanent accommodation is not available.
c)	When surplus units are available in the district, consideration may be given to providing an elementary school having a capacity of more than 250 FTE (1K + 200) with a portable classroom to provide it with one functional multi-purpose room. Requests from smaller schools may also be considered depending upon the facilities available in the permanent structure.
d)	If the Ministry of Education establishes standards that would increase learning accommodation beyond the level that is annually approved, portables may only be used to increase the capacity of schools to that level, if they are approved for funding by the Ministry of Education.
e)	Additional secondary school portable requirements will be considered on their own merits.

Note: When the need is for two (2) or more years, the best available portables shall be placed or retained.

4. DISPOSAL OF PORTABLES

4.1.

The following principles shall apply when removing portables from school sites and disposing of them:

a)	Decisions as to which portables will be retained, relocated or disposed of will be made by the secretary-treasurer, and senior manager, Business Management Services. The following guidelines shall be used in reaching decisions: Review long-term enrolment projections Determine long-term portable requirements Surplus portables ranked by condition reports Dispose of the worst portables first Of older portables, those that are most costly to move shall be disposed of first.
b)	An appropriate number of portables shall be retained to meet emergent conditions. The secretary-treasurer, and senior manager, Business Management Services, shall determine the “appropriate number” and whether they should remain on site and “mothballed”.
c)	Once they have been identified, surplus portables will be declared to the Ministry of Education’s Warehouse Asset Inventory Recovery (WAIR) division, or demolished.

5. REPORTING

5.1.	Business Management Services will prepare a comprehensive report on portable classrooms in November each year. Such report will be presented to the executive committee.

Revised:	2015-06-05 2003-12-16 2000-01-18
Approved:	1992-12-15
X-Ref:	Policy #6700