Modular Schools To Be Ready For Fall Semester

Approximately 1,200 elementary school students will attend classes in the temporary schools while the permanent schools are being built.

"Actually seeing the Wakelon site, it's awesome," said Tammie Sexton, principal of Wakelon Elementary School in Wendell. "It looks far better than I ever expected."

While the schools are a quick fix to the school system's booming population, they are not what most people expect, said Vickie Perry, principal at Harris Creek Elementary in North Raleigh.

"I think the public has a perception of mobile units -- a doublewide -- and this is very different than a doublewide," she said.

The principals for all three schools said that while the schools may look different from regular schools on the outside, they are just the same on the inside.

Each said they are busy hiring teachers and staff. The modular units are scheduled to be ready by the start of the school year on August 25.

Forest Pines Elementary School's principal, Freda Cole, said she is ready for the challenges that lie ahead for her at the Wake Forest school.

Many parents were not happy about Forest Pines' location. They argued that the area was not in a safe neighborhood and that it was too far away.

"There was a lot of controversy initially, and I am aware of it" Cole said. "I'm not anticipating trouble, but I know that we will have to work together. Our main focus will be the safety of the children and making sure they feel secure."

The modular schools will be used for up to two years before the schools move to their permanent sites. After that, school officials said the modular schools could be used while other new schools are built, or be divided into pieces for modular wings at high schools.