JCC Supes Approve Classroom Trailers at Hornsby MS

By Desiree Parker Thursday, November 10, 2011

The James City County Board of Supervisors approved the school system’s application Tuesday to add classroom trailers to Hornsby Middle School, but not without voicing some reservations.

Though the school board hasn’t yet decided to go ahead with adding trailer classrooms, WJCC staff needs to get necessary approvals and permits in order to be able to have trailers in place by next fall, should the school board decide that’s what it wants to do. WJCC applied successfully to supervisors Tuesday to add three trailers at Hornsby Middle School; the school system will need to apply to the city for permits for Berkeley Middle School trailers.

Supervisor Jim Kennedy was the only board member to vote against the application. He said he had heard complaints from parents that their children were in trailers while some schools are functioning under capacity.

“That may not have been the best redistricting process,” Kennedy said of the recent school redistricting completed in 2010.

Supervisor Jim Icenhour voted in support of the application, but with reservations. “I view these as…a short-term fix,” he said. Based on middle school projections, “you will need middle school space fairly quickly,” Icenhour pointed out. He doesn’t want to see the trailers becoming the long-term solution for schools, he said.

Constantino told the supervisors he started with WJCC in the middle of the issue. In order to address the problem, he has asked for and recently received new projections that he and staff are now examining. They will also look at a recent middle school study completed by the James City County Budget Advisory Committee and are expecting a new capacity study on Middle Schools by Nov. 15.

Constantino said his plan is to take all the information to the school board so they can make a well-informed decision. He expects they will decide on a short-term plan by February, which may include the trailers.

The “fiscal reality” of the situation, according to Constantino, means the school system needs to ask, “What is the best thing we can do at the lowest cost that’s in the best interest of the kids?”

The school system has also just begun a strategic process to help focus on a long-term vision. The plan is expected to be complete and in place by next school year.