Portables come down

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It wasn’t as grand as Jericho, but the walls finally came down.

After years of waiting, the Rockville Centre School District finally began demolishing the portable classrooms at South Side High School on Monday.

The classrooms held the district’s science and technology classes. They have been tucked away at the back of the campus for more than 20 years, but are being torn down to make way for the second phase of construction at the high school. With the north addition completed, the district’s construction company is shifting its attention to the larger south addition, which will replace the portables.

The two-story addition will add thousands of square feet of space to the high school. There will be seven new science classrooms, a social studies classroom and office space, and the first floor will also have a new common area. The main feature of the second floor will be a new library. (The library in the building this year is temporary.)

Beyond the improved aesthetics and more space for classes, the addition will also enhance campus safety. In order to allow access to the portables, many school doors had to be unlocked so students could go to and from class. The new classrooms will be connected to the main building, and students will not have to go outside for class.

“We’ve been trying for years to find an alternative to the portables,” Superintendent Dr. William Johnson said. “In one respect, it’s sad to see an era end. On the other hand, I’m glad our students can stay in the same building all day.”

The south addition is planned to be completed by next September. All of the work the district is doing as part of a $45.9 million bond should be completed by the start of the 2016-17 school year.