Ramtech Completes Installation of Modular Buildings at Tornado Damaged Van ISD

Ramtech has completed the work on four new modular buildings placed at the site of the temporary school campus established by the Van (TX) Independent School District in the wake of the damage incurred from the tornado that went through the city on May 10. The modular school buildings were configured as portable restrooms, and will be used by the district’s second and third grade students who will be relocated from the damaged J.E Rhodes elementary school to the temporary school site at the front section of property at Van Middle School. Working together with Eubanks Harris Roberts Craig Architects, each one of the 12′X 34′buildings were designed to include boys and girls restrooms with age-appropriate child height toilets.

Purchased through the Texas Association of School Board’s Buyboard purchasing co-op, the buildings have standard R-panel siding on the exterior and fiberglass reinforced plastic panels on the interior walls. Ramtech’s scope of work also included the installation of the decks, ramps, and landings. The EF3 tornado caused over $40 million in damage which included two of Van ISD’s schools, the administration building, and the maintenance and transportation centers. To be able to start school on time in August, the district received portable classroom buildings that were donated from the Tyler Independent School District. Tyler ISD’s current superintendent is Dr. Marty Crawford, who in 2013, led the West Independent School District through their rebuilding effort after the devastating fertilizer plant explosion in the city of West.

Featured

  • New Jersey Day School Opens New Science & Entrepreneurship Building

    Saddle River Day School (SRDS) in Saddle River, N.J., recently celebrated the grand opening of the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship, according to a news release. The school partnered with DIG Architecture on the 32,000 square foot facility, completed on a 17-month construction timeline in time for the beginning of the new school year.

  • Minnesota District Completes Renovations to 3 Schools

    South Washington County Schools in Woodbury, Minn., recently completed major renovation projects to three of its schools, according to a news release. The district partnered with Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and the upgrades were part of a larger referendum that voters approved in fall 2024.

  • Amazon Expands Lockers to More Than 500 College, University Campuses

    Amazon recently announced that its Locker Network now totals more than 750 locations at more than 500 college and university campuses around the United States, according to a company news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.