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WCSD: Portables will provide relief to school 'busting at the seams'
Van R. Butler Elementary is literally “busting at the seams” with a 877 students enrolled as of Friday, Aug. 6. In order for the school to be compliant with the Florida Constitutional Amendment of Class-Size Reduction Amendment, portables will set up on the north end of the school this week. The temporary portables will only serve the school until the new Emerald Coast Middle School is complete in August 2011 and Butler can move into the connecting facility for classroom use.
“We have been increasing student enrollment steadily for many years,” said Butler’s Principal Tammy Smith. “We haven’t wanted to place portables at the end of the front north wing but we now have no other option.”
The additional portables needed for this school year will be visible from Highway 30A, but will only serve as temporary structures and are necessary for the school to be in compliance with class-size.
“Currently, Butler Elementary has seven portables with one scheduled for installation this week,” said Director of Facilities Mark Gardner. “There is potential for another portable to be placed on the campus should it be needed based on student population. Although it is a challenge to serve 877 students in this space, we consider it an honor that families are choosing to re-locate to Walton County and place their children in Van R. Butler School.”
“I have enrolled students from almost every state,” said Smith.
Gardner said all schools in South Walton are experiencing an increase in enrollment for the current school year.
According to Superintendent Anderson, increase in student population is not unusual to any part of the county, however more so in the south. New schools have continually been built and additional wings have been added on for the last six years, with the new Emerald Coast Middle School to be completed this year.
“The School Board has been committed and will continue to make decisions to meet the needs of our growing population,” said Anderson.
