Principal touts fix for Lynn’s Ford overflow

LYNN – Ford School Principal Claire Crane is hoping to retain as many students as possible when her middle school annex building is closed this summer and has requested a smaller portable classroom to help ease crowding in the main building on Hollingsworth Street.Despite having to move approximately 221 middle school students to the main building from the Bennett Street annex, Crane is confident that she will have enough space to house most of them. Still, she says, putting a portable classroom would ease the pressure.The Ford School already has one portable classroom next to the school, but students did not use that building this year due to frequent problems with the heat. Crane said that even if that classroom were re-opened, the second portable would still be needed.Of the 221 students, Crane said she hopes to keep as many as possible through the move, estimating that there could be as few as 22 out-of-district middle school students moving to a different school next year.Crane said the students who do get displaced will be chosen on a last-ones-in/first-ones-out basis, in an effort to keep next year’s eighth-graders together.”There are not that many kids moving on, I am going to fight to keep the seventh-graders here. They have been at this school eight years and I think they should get the opportunity to graduate with their class next year,” she said. “It is a work in progress, but as long as they give me the support, I told them I can do it.”According to 2009-10 projections, there are nine future eighth-grade students who would be moved, nine seventh-grade and 13 sixth-grade students. In the elementary schools, projections show that 20 fifth-graders, 10 fourth-graders, nine third-graders and 18 second-graders will be forced to change schools, but those numbers could change.The support Crane is looking for comes in the form of more classroom space, so she can keep overcrowding and class size to a minimum.As projected for 2009-10, Crane is looking at average class sizes between 25-26 in grades kindergarten and first grade and 28-30 in grades 2 through 5. In the three middle-school grades, average class sizes will be between 30-31 students.Crane has also petitioned the department for an additional second- and fifth-grade teacher.Crane has been working with the Inspectional Services Department to make some changes to the school building in order to accommodate more students, including renovating the basement for classroom use.Although the changes in the building are a priority, Crane says the situation would be more ideal with a portable classroom on the property, something she has been researching and discussing with city officials.School Committee member John Ford and Crane visited KIPP Academy Lynn, which uses the portable classrooms in the rear of the space they rent from the Holy Family Church on Bessom Street, to gauge the cost of a portable to the district last week.While the monthly cost to rent the trailer is a little over $1,000, the real expense would be installing the structure, which could run the city upwards of $200,000.”The installation is expensive, I don’t know if she is going to be able to get it,” said Ford. “They have to run electric and plumbing to the building, I just am not sure if it is doable.”Crane is scheduled to meet with Latham again this week to discuss options for relieving class sizes and making the move as easy as possible.