Board to study replacing leased classroom trailers after member flags nearly $500,000 annual cost

Dr. Leticia Pantoliano, a board member, pressed the Cliffside Park School District Board of Education to consider alternatives to long-term leasing of temporary classroom trailers, telling colleagues that the district is spending substantial recurring sums on leased modular space.

"Is that $25,000 a month or 25,000 for the year?" Pantoliano asked when reviewing the agenda. When the chair confirmed the $25,000 figure was monthly, Pantoliano said that translates to about $300,000 a year for the trailers at School 3; she added the board is paying roughly $135,000 a year for trailers at School 5 and another $10,500 for modular space at the School 3 annex. "So we're gonna be paying 400, almost $500,000 a year for these temporary buildings forever," she said.

Board members discussed possible next steps rather than taking immediate formal action. One board member suggested engaging land-assessment consultants to produce a property-needs assessment (PNA) and obtaining cost estimates for modular buildings. Another recommended asking the district auditor to run a payback analysis to show how long it would take to recover an upfront purchase through avoided lease payments. Members also noted zoning and infrastructure costs — including power and water hookups — could add materially to any purchase cost.

No formal vote to buy or to fund a purchase was taken; instead, members discussed forming a committee and directing staff to compile estimates and analyses. That direction would be an advisory and exploratory step, not a contract award.

Why this matters: The board spends recurring operating funds on leased classroom space. Replacing leased trailers with owned modular units could change long‑term budget obligations, but purchase would require upfront capital, potential zoning approvals and work on infrastructure. The board’s next steps — a property needs assessment and an auditor-led payback analysis — will clarify trade-offs.

Next procedural step: Board members suggested that President Teddy Tarabaki assemble a working committee to meet with staff and consultants and return cost estimates and a recommended path forward to the building-and-grounds committee.