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Gregory-Portland ISD invests $26K in 'adaptable classrooms' for students

Principal Analese Tennyson says this school year, enrollment has grown by 100 students.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Educators in Gregory-Portland ISD have been converting non-instructional spaces like corners of the library, copy rooms, cafeterias and even conference rooms into classrooms in order to meet students' needs.

Principal of W.C. Andrews Elementary Analese Tennyson says there is a solution in progress and it's called an 'adaptable classroom.

"Our last enrollment number for our year is at 666 students. We are getting new students every single week," Tennyson said.

Finding enough space to accommodate more students has been a challenge for the district.

"We're using a corner of our library for our dyslexia classroom," she said. "We've converted two office spaces into classrooms for our interventionists groups and then also for our special education population."  

With many homes being built in the enrollment zone of W.C. Andrews Elementary School. The district needed a long-term plan to keep up with growth.

Crystal Matern with Gregory-Portland ISD says the temporary adaptable classroom structure is a $260,000 investment.

"When you look at it and you understand what's in the space, you realize it is very different," Matern said. "One of the ways that makes it different are the safety features. And the way that we're making sure that our students are safe and secure in that space. So that will be our second students and our staff."  

Six classrooms of second graders will be learning in this adaptable structure.

"This is really going to help with our high special needs population, they're actually going to have a classroom now," Tennyson said.

Matern says one alternative to this project was to have students move to a different campus. but the district felt that wasn't an ideal situation for families.

"Being the new student anywhere can be hard," she said. "So we wanted to make sure we provide that stability to students and families. And this was the best solution as a result."  

This investment made by the school district is still pending city approval.

    

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