For some schools, classroom overcrowding has posed issues for years—long before the stressors of a pandemic were added to the mix. Whether your classroom will operate online or in person, this coming academic year will dive into uncharted waters for students and teachers alike. Not only will masks be required at many schools due to the continuous spread of COVID-19, but social distancing adjustments and accommodations will also be essential to ensuring a safe environment.
Satellite Shelters is here to offer the additional portable classroom space you need. Portable classrooms are available for either long-term or temporary solutions for your educational facility.
What Does Social Distancing in the Classroom Look Like?
As the stay-at-home orders have emphasized, social distancing (and self-isolation, when possible) is the best way to prevent the spread of an infectious disease. This includes measures that restrict where, when, and how many people can gather in particular environments and suggests that individuals maintain a minimum of six feet of separation from one another.
Unfortunately, the possibility of an even greater surge in COVID-19 cases looms, so educators and administrators are seeking to enforce the most effective social distancing standards. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of these considerations and best practices for schools include:
- Rearranging desks and seating areas to maximize space between students.
- Ensuring ample disinfectant products are available for cleaning hands and surfaces.
- Reinforcing hand-washing routines and best practices.
- Staggering arrival, lunch, recess, and dismissal times.
- Holding physical education and music classes outside where students can spread out.
- Utilizing alternate spaces inside the school building for eating meals as well as portable buildings around school grounds for extra classrooms, lounges, offices, hand-washing stations, and more.
Creating Makeshift Space to Spread Out
When social distancing measures can only go so far, repurposing spaces into additional classrooms will be necessary. Classrooms are already crowded enough, so school leaders will have to get creative and assess what can be used for in-person instruction spaces—think cafeterias, libraries, gymnasiums, and art and music rooms.
However, if there’s room on campus, outdoor classrooms or temporary buildings are the safest and most practical solution to ensure students and staff can disperse on school grounds while making minimal contact with one another throughout the day. This would also help divide entry points to buildings as opposed to students using the same main doors to enter the school. With the new semester fast approaching, how can your educational institution quickly secure space you can count on to be up to code and meet your specific needs?
Finding Temporary Classroom Space for Your School
The coronavirus pandemic has bred an ever-evolving situation that requires fast, decisive action from school administrators and leadership. When you need overflow classroom buildings for an unknown length of time, turn to high-quality portable and modular classroom buildings. Portable classrooms are a great way to add flexible space to your campus without the noise or disruptions. They can be delivered and placed in optimal spots around your school—from parking lots to sports fields—to support social distancing, and they can also be expanded or removed as needed.
Modular swing space can even serve as a nurse’s office or healthcare building that issues coronavirus testing on site.
Customized Buildings to Help Ease Classroom Overcrowding
At Satellite Shelters, we provide portable classrooms and modular school buildings in different types, sizes, and layouts, as well as custom-designed options to create the educational building you need. Our portable classrooms can be configured with short turnaround times and equipped with practical features for your students’ learning environment, such as desks, chairs, tables, and steps and ramps.
Our standard modular classrooms include:
- Carpeted or tile flooring
- Vinyl-covered walls
- Sliding windows
- Electric heating and cooling systems
- Power outlets
- Wood or aluminum exteriors
- Add-ons like closets and ADA-compliant restrooms
Additionally, Satellite’s specialty products can help you get the most of your space and meet health guidelines at your school. From extra sanitation stations to storage space, types of equipment that may be useful around your campus include:
- Office furniture
- Storage containers
- Fire extinguishers
- Portable restrooms
- Hand-washing stations
Modular Classrooms that Expand with Your School’s Needs
Although online and e-learning have offered a solution for teachers and students during these times, primary and secondary education may not have the luxury of fully leveraging the same remote learning options.
No matter if classroom overcrowding was already an issue for your school or the pandemic has brought to light your need for more space, Satellite Shelters is here to help provide portable and modular classroom buildings. Quality buildings paired with excellent customer service make us the go-to supplier for temporary classrooms in your area. Portable classrooms are available for rent, lease, or sale, and we can work with your timeline and budget. Get in touch with a Satellite Shelters location near you to discuss how we can best serve your school, or request a free quote today!
