Administrators say they'll be hard pressed to meet the deadline. Rushe said the money for the upgrades might force the district to scale back planned renovations of Gulf and Pasco middle schools, two of the oldest, most bedraggled schools in the county. The two schools have been scheduled for renovations for years, but they continually take a back seat to other construction projects. A scaled-back version of the renovations was put before the board last spring and is scheduled to get under way this summer. Those projects may now be in jeopardy if the cost of fixing the portables runs into the millions of dollars, Rushe said.
Districts have to check their portable classrooms for a number of things.
Ceiling joists and other elements of construction must meet the state's building code. The roofs of portables must now be attached to the hurricane straps that anchor the building to the ground. The soil beneath the classrooms must be tested to ensure it can hold the classroom in place during a storm. District officials said they expect their portables to meet most of those requirements. Krinn said the district installs ramps on portables only if students in them need one.