Monday, September 10, 2007

Overcrowded Schools

It's a sad state of affairs when children go to school just to end up in the trailer.  But that's exactly what happens to over 10,000 Gwinnett County kids.  It's amazing how fast a strip mall can go up yet it takes seven years to build 30 schools.  There are places I pass where I can remember nothing but trees and nature but in 2 weeks every tree is gone, in 8 weeks the strip mall is darn near complete and in 12 weeks I'm ordering a smoothie. 

And what about all of the empty business parks?  Why can't these be turned into schools?  I imagine the infrastructure is there in terms of internet and phone wiring, fire alarms, heating and air.  In fact it probably turn into more of an exercise in partitioning off classrooms, adding doors, etc. 

See the table below for the list of trailers used in Gwinnett County, Ga:

Hopkins Elementary

School

Trailers

Enrollment 

Building capacity

Percent Over Capacity

  
Alcova Elementary 10 973 769 26.53%
Annistown Elementary 2 561 728 -22.94%
Arcado Elementary 4 861 790 8.99%
Benefield Elementary 23 1,239 894 38.59%
Berkeley Lake Elementary 13 1,084 1,019 6.38%
Berkmar High 20 3,128 3,000 4.27%
Berkmar Middle 5 1,045 1,125 -7.11%
Bethesda Elementary 6 1,125 1,019 10.40%
Britt Elementary 28 942 665 41.65%
Brookwood High 26 3,473 3,000 15.77%
Camp Creek Elementary 10 1,041 977 6.55%
Cedar Hill Elementary 22 1,363 1,206 13.02%
Centerville Elementary  9 827 769 7.54%
Central Gwinnett High 31 2,792 2,650 5.36%
Chesney Elementary  2 821 769 6.76%
Collins Hill High 44 3,715 3,000 23.83%
Corley Elementary  22 1,247 1,164 7.13%
Creekland Middle  36 2,838 2,500 13.52%
Crews Middle 25 1,378 1,150 19.83%
Duluth Middle  9 1,911 2,000 -4.45%
Duncan Creek Elementary  19 1,672 1,393 20.03%
Dyer Elementary  2 654 748 -12.57%
Five Forks Middle  9 1,173 1,150 2.00%
Fort Daniel Elementary  22 1,199 1,019 17.66%
Freeman's Mill Elementary 11 1,104 1,019 8.34%
Grayson Elementary 33 1,553 1,019 52.40%
Grayson High  45 3,237 2,500 29.48%
Gwin Oaks Elementary  15 1,019 977 4.30%
Harmony Elementary  3 654 728 -10.16%
Harris Elementary  4 718 936 -23.29%
Head Elementary  11 647 582 11.17%
26 1,758 1,601 9.81%
Hull Middle  21 2,263 2,050 10.39%
Jackson Elementary 10 1,752 1,643 6.63%
Jones Middle 19 1,383 1,125 22.93%
Kanoheda Elementary  8 1,148 1,310 -12.37%
Knight Elementary  13 676 520 30.00%
Lanier Middle  45 2,582 2,000 29.10%
Lawrenceville Elementary  8 981 1,019 -3.73%
Level Creek Elementary 8 1,121 1,102 1.72%
Lilburn Elementary  5 1,369 1,518 -9.82%
Magill Elementary  17 1,682 1,643 2.37%
Mason Elementary 18 1,413 1,289 9.62%
McConnell Middle  35 2,527 2,125 18.92%
Meadowcreek Elementary  19 1,041 956 8.89%
Meadowcreek High  8 2,391 3,000 -20.30%
Mill Creek High 53 4,023 3,250 23.78%
Minor Elementary  20 1,237 1,164 6.27%
Mountain Park Elementary  11 640 499 28.26%
Nesbit Elementary  10 1,477 1,518 -2.70%
Norcross Elementary  20 1,003 832 20.55%
North Gwinnett High  36 3,015 2,500 20.60%
Norton Elementary  35 1,879 1,248 50.56%
Osborne Middle  17 1,999 1,800 11.06%
Parsons Elementary  23 1,109 769 44.21%
Partee Elementary  7 743 852 -12.79%
Peachtree Elementary  6 1,357 1,352 0.37%
Peachtree Ridge High  9 3,152 3,000 5.07%
Pharr Elementary 34 1,427 1,081 32.01%
Pinckneyville Middle  4 1,284 1,375 -6.62%
Radloff Middle  3 1,096 1,125 -2.58%
Richards Middle  55 2,466 2,150 14.70%
Riverside Elementary  17 1,459 1,289 13.19%
Rockbridge Elementary  16 866 977 -11.36%
Shiloh Elementary  2 787 852 -7.63%
Shiloh High  13 2,055 1,900 8.16%
Shiloh Middle  16 1,628 1,775 -8.28%
Simonton Elementary  34 1,538 1,206 27.53%
Simpson Elementary  1 999 1,019 -1.96%
Snellville Middle  38 2,229 1,800 23.83%
South Gwinnett  40 2,789 2,400 16.21%
Stripling Elementary  5 993 1,040 -4.52%
Sugar Hill Elementary  20 1,120 1,019 9.91%
Summerour Middle  9 1,069 1,100 -2.82%
Suwanee Elementary  10 941 894 5.26%
Sycamore Elementary  9 1,308 1,081 21.00%
Winn Holt Elementary  22 1,560 1,331 17.21%
Totals 1376 119329 108364 10.12%
Average 17.87 1549.7273 1407.324675 9.92%
Students/Trailer 7.9688

 

Table data from http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2007/09/07/trailers_0909.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

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2 comments:

David said...

We see this mass stupidity in Henry County too. Apparently, there is a law on the books that says that schools can not build for future capacity. They can only build a building that meets current needs. So, our schools - which take anywhere from 3 to 5 years to complete anyways - are starting day 1 with not enough space. Plus, I can't remember the last time I saw a school with *gasp* TWO STORIES or more! Are our kids THAT bad out of shape that they can't handle a flight of stairs....oh wait...

5:17 AM
XD said...

Yes, yes our kids are that out of shape. They don't play outside nearly enough. Their bookbags have wheels on them. They remove activities from P.E. class when only some students can excel at them. There are kids right now being pushed around in strollers in the mall while they HOLD their feet up so their toesie woesies won't drag.

And why does it take so long to build a school. I'm thinking if a trailer is considered a sufficient classroom, then a solid, but temporary building can be thrown together as fast as these strip malls until the full infrastructurally sound school can be completed.

6:28 AM

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