Three decommissioned portable classrooms on Garden Valley School Division property will soon find a new use. The division was granted approval from the Public Schools Finance Board to dispose of the three portables on the southwest corner of Garden Valley Collegiate.

Superintendent Vern Reimer says, as part of the process, the board put out a Request for Proposals to have them moved out, and two applications were approved.

"I think one is going to be used in a homeschooling situation in one of the villages, the other two are going to Penner Waste, and they're going to be using them for some adult education, some training, and safety courses."

Once the portables are removed, the approved applicants will be in charge of restoring the site to its original condition.

Reimer says portables that are in good condition are often moved to another division that's in need, or within a division like they saw last year when three were moved from GVC and relocated to Parkland and J.R. Walkof schools.

What happens to portables once decommissioned, is ultimately up to the Public Schools Finance Board. "Once the condition is such that they may not survive the move, then you can get permission to dispose of them, and then somebody else can use them for something else," noted Reimer.

Meanwhile, it's possible GVSD will be able to decommission 19 additional portables when the Pine Ridge Elementary School opens in 2019. Reimer says the decommissioning of a further 19, depends on the catchment plan that will be approved at the board's June meeting.

Even if they can remove those, Reimer says portables will still very much be a part of their landscape. "Although we're eliminating 19 portables, if the board approves option 4 from the catchment meetings that was presented, we would still be using 24 portables."

Related article: Additional Portables To Meet "Temporary" Need For GVSD