The board of education for Middletown Schools approved a plan on May 12 to temporarily add space to Farm Hill Elementary School, both to provide additional room and alleviate overcrowding.
The need for extra space at Farm Hill Elementary is due, to a large extent, on increases in support staff over the last few years. The school has had to add school psychologists, behavioral specialists, and physical therapy professionals among others. According to Patricia Charles, superintendent of schools, administrators are obtaining cost estimates for renting modular units to house staff.
The added space would allow all the students to stay in their own school during the 2015-16 school year, while an engineering study to determine building use and future enrollment can be conducted. In addition, to extra space for staff, Charles has already gotten on estimate of $180,000 for installation and utilities, plus $3,000 rent per month for a two-class modular unit. Additional quotes are still being sought.
Growing pains are nothing new to Middletown schools, For the 2010-11 school year, 400 students were reassigned to different schools in the district in an attempt to balance the school population. Communication with parents and the community is key to the success of any school system and the services of brochure printers can go a long way in getting parents on board with whatever changes the superintendent and schoolboard feel are necessary.
