The charter school building boom continues on. Ramtech announced this week that we have secured a new contract for the design, fabrication, and construction of five modular buildings for KIPP Delta Public Schools of Helena, Arkansas.
The project will provide for three 8,100 square foot eight-classroom buildings, a 3,600 square foot food preparation and cafeteria facility, and a 3,600 square foot administrative office complex. The modular buildings will be delivered and installed prior to the start of the 2012-2013 academic school year at their new campus location in Blytheville, Arkansas. This will be Ramtech’s second modular school construction project for KIPP, one of the nation’s largest charter school providers serving more than 32,000 students at 109 schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The new campus location is part of a four-acre development designed by Stuck & Associates Architects of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Ramtech will provide the modular buildings as a subcontractor to Rowan Construction Services of Marianna, Arkansas the general contractor selected for the project.
KIPP, which stands for the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. They very pleased with a previous project that we did for them at their San Antonio, Texas campus so they encouraged Stuck & Associates Architects to work with us on the modular building designs for this job also. The new campus will be known as the Blytheville College Preparatory School and will be KIPP’s second location in their Arkansas Delta Region. The development has been planned in two phases with the first phase providing facilities for elementary and middle school students and a future expansion designated for a new high school.
The announcement for the KIPP project coincides with Ramtech’s preparation for the February 1, 2012 launch of our new program to promote the benefits of using modular construction for charter schools. The initiative will provide an opportunity for educators to learn about the recent innovations and practical applications in the use of temporary and permanent modular buildings when developing new schools or additions to existing campuses. To aid in this effort, Ramtech has installed a fully-finished six-classroom modular floor plan facility available for tours and viewing at our Mansfield headquarters.
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Sabrina Queen works in Business Development for Ramtech Building Systems, serving the needs of the education market with temporary classroom facilities. She has been in the modular building industry for over 20 years