Relocatables approved for Ocean Air School in Carmel Valley

By Karen Billing

Two new relocatable classrooms will be on their way to Ocean Air School this summer to help alleviate a crowded campus by the start of the 2012-13 school year.

The Del Mar Union School District board approved the purchase of the two custom units at its March 28 meeting, a total cost of $392,749 out of available Community Facilities District (CFD) funds.

The price includes custom cabinet and carpet work to match the rest of the campus, finishing asphalt, wiring and upgraded HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and the Department of State Architect and inspector fees.

The portables, from Class Leasing, will have stucco exteriors, painted two-tone white and blue to match the rest of the campus. The structures will be at grade, meaning no ramp leading into the classroom.

The board had been considering the option of leasing the portables, which for a seven- year lease would be $441,198 or about $46,000 a month in years two through seven.

Any maintenance issues that arose would be the responsibility of the leasing company but leasing wouldn’t allow the kind of customization the district was looking for.

Katrina Graupman, Del Mar California Teacher’s Association president, said that the customization — over a standard portable that may be noisy or lacking air-conditioning — makes a difference.

“If we create the best facility for students it really does create the best learning environment,” Graupman said. “It makes them feel like a part of the school community just as much as students in the buildings.”