CALEDONIA SENIOR Secondary is joining Skeena in having portable classrooms installed in anticipation of having a larger student population this fall.
Two double-wide classrooms were moved to the school's east parking lot last week to help with a student crunch coming as Grade 10 is added this fall to Grade 11 and Grade 12.
“It will be a tight squeeze,” said Cal principal Cam MacKay about the new students.
From a current population of 500, Cal will be home to more than 700 students in the fall although the school district is expecting that number will dip a little in the fall of 2013.
The portables, which had been used elsewhere, will hold 30 students each and serve as classrooms in the regular block rotation.
“They were already pre built and used as classrooms before,” said MacKay.
Other improvements will be done to Caledonia itself.
A wall in the library will be removed to make more space for Grade 10 books, a storage container will be brought in to hold engines and equipment for the school's shops.
Any further changes will wait until school resumes in the fall and be based on how the larger student body reacts to the current school layout.
One possibility is moving lockers to different parts of the school and creating an area in which students can eat lunch, said MacKay.
Right now students eat lunch in the locker area, in classrooms and in other areas.
“So, we're looking at different avenues in which to help them out,” said MacKay.
Other challenges are scheduling specific items such as labs within available facilities.
“It makes it entertaining,” said MacKay.