Has your local school become overpopulated? The build of new city schools are often planned and determined based on the current population of the city. However, as the city?s population increases, city schools are rarely upgraded or rebuilt. This causes an overcrowding of schools and classrooms. Students are forced to attend filled classes and do not receive as much of a quality education. While the rebuild of a larger school may not be an option currently, portable cabins can be used to better meet the needs of the students.

Great for changing student enrollment
One of the problems of estimating student enrollment is that it can change drastically year by year. One year could see an increase of 50% of students and another, a decrease of 50%. This can make it almost impossible to justify the costs of a permanent building addition. Portable cabins, however, are more cost effective and can be moved when not in use. Almost all (99%) of schools have permanent buildings, and 31% have portable (temporary) buildings. An increasing number of schools are learning about the advantages of temporary school buildings.

Just as safe and secure as permanent buildings
A common worry about modular buildings is their safety. They are not permanent structures, so some people do not consider them to be safe. However, this is a myth. Temporary buildings for sale can be just as safe as permanent buildings and can be equipped with many of the same amenities that permanent school buildings have. Many larger portable buildings are created with permits. Any residential accessory building larger than 200 square feet will require a building plan review and permit. Regardless of size, any electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work will require a permit and all building locations must honor zoning and subdivision setbacks. The required permits and inspections ensure that these portable buildings are safe for all inhabitants.

Affordable temporary option
Portable cabins use fewer materials, require less construction, and are smaller than tradition buildings. This causes them to also cost less. The initial cost of a portable classroom was found to be between 36% and 77% of the cost of a site built classroom addition. Because schools often rely on city taxes, this is an important advantage of portable cabins. In many city districts, a school addition is simply not in the budget, regardless of the number of students or the extent of the overcrowding issue. A portable cabin or classroom can solve this problem, without increasing the city taxes.

Energy efficient buildings
Our country has become more aware of the need for energy preservation. Newer permanent buildings require a lot of resources and tend to not be very energy efficient. Portable buildings have more room for improvements and the inclusion of energy efficient amenities. Studies prove this claim. The Northwest Portable Classroom Project conducted by Washington State University in 2003 found that the portables built to the 1993 code were 44% more energy efficient than the models built 25 years prior. Further, portables built to 2000 codes are 20% more energy efficient than the 1993 models. Additional advanced continue to increase the energy efficiency of each portable model.

Schools are primarily funded by city taxes. However, it can be difficult to estimate an accurate number of students for each school, especially when those numbers are constantly changing, year by year. Some years, overcrowding occurs and students are affected educationally. Portable cabins can be the quick and cost efficient answer to this problem. They can quickly be manufactured, without raising taxes and students can be on their way to a great education.