Author Archives: Stan Jester

Single-wide Portable Classroom Calculations
The approximate cost of leasing a single-wide portable classroom ($31,300) would exceed the cost to purchase ($31,251) the same unit in 8.3 years (or 100 months).
Calculations & Assumptions (based on 2017 pricing):

1. The cost to purchase a new single-wide portable classroom is $31,251.
2. Annual cost to lease a new single-wide portable classroom is $3,240 (or $270 per month).
3. The one-time cost to return a leased single-wide portable classroom is approximately $4,300. (This includes a return fee [$300 per unit] plus an average cost to repair unit when returned.)

Quad Classroom Unit (with Restrooms) Calculations
The cost of leasing a quad classroom unit ($208,145) would exceed the cost of purchase ($204,830) the same unit in 4.5 years (or 54 months).
Calculations & Assumptions (based on 2017 pricing):

1. Cost to purchase a new quad classroom unit with restrooms is $204,830
2. Annual cost to lease a new quad classroom unit with restrooms is $44,160 ($3,680 per month)
3. One-time cost to return a leased quad portable with restrooms is approximately $9,425 (This includes a return fee [$825 per unit] plus an average cost to repair unit when returned.)

Estimated Savings Calculations
200 single-wide portable classrooms leased for 15 years (including return fees) will cost the District $10,592,000 (or $52,960 per unit).
200 single-wide portable classrooms purchased (based on 2017 pricing) will cost the District $6,250,200 (or $31,251 per unit).
Portable Classrooms in DeKalb Schools
The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will need to obtain additional portable classrooms to address the following over the next several years:

• 267 out of 413 will are over or are approaching their recommended service life –
  between 15 and 20 years.
• Projected increase in student enrollment
• Portable classrooms will be used as swing space for displaced classrooms at schools under partial construction.

Over the past three years, the Board of Education has approved the purchase of 146 portable classrooms in support of the concerns mentioned above. The Return on Investment (ROI) for purchasing these portable classrooms versus leasing them is approximately eight to nine years for single-wide portable classrooms and four to five years for a “quad classroom” (four instructional units). In other words, the cost of leasing these units will exceed the cost of purchasing the same unit over the recommended service life of 15 to 20 years.
After this summer’s portable classroom deployments and replacements, the District will have approximately 413 portable classrooms in use, of which 146 are new, and 267 are old.

At a minimum, based on current enrollment projections DeKalb Schools will need approximately 200 new portable classrooms once all planned E-SPLOST IV and V capacity additions are complete in 2023. If additional capacity is constructed beyond 2023 (E-SPLOST VI and beyond), the number of portable classrooms needed will decrease over time.