Parker Charter seeks modular expansion
By Nathan Lamb
Staff Writer for the Ayer Public Spirit
Article Launched: 04/06/2007 08:34:15 AM EDT

DEVENS -- Space limitations have always been an issue for Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School. Now the school is looking to overcome that problem by connecting a two-story modular unit to the school building off Antietam Street.

The unit has space for 13 classrooms, which means the school can end its practice of "triple-booking" rooms, said Parker board of trustees Chairman Anne Perkins.

"Our teachers and principal have been very resourceful, but if you come to our school on a typical day you'll find students reciting Shakespeare in the hall," she said. "That sort of situation isn't appropriate for a long-term solution."

The school has 365 students in grades seven to 12, which are drawn from 40 communities across the state.

Parker needs 80,000 square feet to conduct its current operations, but has only 46,000 square feet in its facility, which was built as an elementary school for Fort Devens in the 1950s, said Perkins.

The modular unit, which has already been purchased, will add 26,000 square feet and
leave only a spectator-worthy gymnasium on the school's "need" list for facilities.

"This addition solves all of our space needs with the exception of the gym, so we're very excited about it," she said.

The plan is to have the module behind and alongside the current building, parallel to the Shriver Jobs Corps baseball diamond. Perkins said it won't be highly visible from the main road.

The idea came about last fall, when Parker trustees became aware that Wachusett Regional High School, in Holden, was selling its modular classrooms after three years of use, said Perkins.

That school was nearing completion on its expansion project and looking to get the modular removed, which had the Parker trustees scrambling to put in a bid for it. That transaction closed over the winter with the stipulation that Parker will have the equipment removed by summer.

While Perkins acknowledged that modular classrooms conjure images of education trailers in the minds of many, she said these particular ones are of high quality and have a 30-year lifespan. They also fit with Parker's budget.

"It's a great situation for both school districts because they need to get it off their lot to finish their construction project, and we need the class space," she said. "To have built this construction new would have cost us $8 million to $9 million. To do this project this way will cost us $2 million."

Cost is a major factor for Parker. Though it's a public school, it's not tied to any community and doesn't receive state or local funds for building expenses. Instead, the idea is that program revenue will cover those items, but Perkins said the trustees have been unwilling to include classroom expenditures toward that end.

That's an overriding issue for many charter schools, said Perkins. Though they're given more leeway by the state in constructing an educational environment, that lack of funds often results in an excellent program in average-at-best facilities, she said.

Established 12 years ago, Parker was first at 2602 building on Jackson Road, which was recently renamed One Jackson Place. The building was previously a military training and intelligence school and had no windows, which made Parker's trustees jump for the elementary school when it became available in 2000, even though its space was limited.

All the while, the trustees put aside what they could in a facilities reserve, which has grown to $1 million. It's being used for the modules, said Perkins. The remainder of the bill is being paid through an ongoing capital campaign, which is being generously supported by parents and student fund-raising, she said.

The next step toward installing the unit is a public hearing before the Devens Enterprise Commission on April 24. The commission is the state's one-stop permitting board at Devens.

Granted the project passes muster with the commission, construction will begin over the summer, and students will be in the classrooms by January.

"That's pretty exciting because most school construction projects can take years," she said. "This is as close to instant gratification as you get."

Tax-deductible donations for the Parker capital fund can be forwarded to the Sizer Foundation Inc., care of the Parker Charter Essential School, 49 Antietam St., Devens, MA 01434. The foundation is named after Harvard residents Ted and Nancy Sizer. Ted was a founding trustee of the school and nationally-known education reform advocate.