Due to ongoing work on Southside High School’s roof, the Orchestra class has lost its usual place to practice. The Orchestra was sharing a space with the Theatre class, causing problems for both classes. As a temporary solution, portable classrooms were brought to campus to give orchestra students a place to practice. 

 While the construction workers were reroofing the Orchestra room, it collapsed because of an underlying issue. The original reroofing project is estimated to end soon, but the damage caused by the collapse in the orchestra room might take all year. 

Jeffery Prewitt, Principal of Southside High School, said that the “collapse from something that we didn’t know was there,” and that the underlying problem “was a safety hazard.”

Portable classrooms at Southside solve the issue of Orchestra, Theatre, and Choir all trying to share the same space. Before the classrooms were brought in, all three classes had to share the auditorium, making it especially challenging for the theatre group to rehearse and plan their show, “Big Fish.” 

The portable classrooms aren’t the best-looking buildings, but they are one of the only fixes available for Southside’s overbooked auditorium. The two portable classrooms are located on the west side of the school, making their visibility lower to the public. 

As for the plans for the students and teachers in the classrooms, crisis responses have been set in place in case anything happens, such as a tornado or an active shooter. For a fire, the classes would follow the usual protocol, and if there was a tornado, the students would be housed in the west shelter. As for an active shooter, the situation is slightly different because the buildings are isolated away from the rest of the campus. 

“There are crisis response plans in place. We designate where students go during a tornado. Could cause the West shelter to be more crowded,” said Prewitt. 

The two portable classrooms provide a way for the students to continue to get the best education possible, while giving both the Orchestra and Theatre room to perform and practice their pieces.