It’s a crisp spring morning, I like to go for a walk to get coffee from Brothers’ K at 7am. I walk past Lincoln School and there she sits, in all her glory; one of the District’s finest assets, our lovely COVID-era shipping containers. It stands regally beside the school, like the Colossus at the port of ancient Rhodes, greeting all who pass her. Like the slowly corroding-to-dust metra overpasses, it really sets an aesthetic.

What is in the Shipping Containers?

I’ve spoken to three different sources on the subject along with reading every public Building & Grounds report I could find. My preliminary understanding is that they contain mostly furniture; rugs, pillows, tables, chairs, etc. They were installed during the COVID-era, in November 2021 and before. It’s hard to pin down exactly when they were installed because many of the early COVID-era meeting minutes are either not available or lacking information on the subject.

Three different sources at two different schools have reached out to me to suggest that the containers flooded. As such, all the furniture and other items in the units are now moldy and considered trash. Dewey (for a brief period) had a GoFundMe page to replace some of the items for teachers. My understanding, which I have not yet verified, is that many of these units still contain the items but now, covered in (probably toxic) mold.

The vendor’s website does contain a line indicating these units should be waterproof, assuming the District did not buy them “as-is”

I’m looking for more information on the current contents of these units, if anyone has anything, please email me (tom@foiagras.com).

How much do they Cost?

The containers are provided by Great Lakes Kwik Space, an Aurora-based provider of shipping container solutions. Over the last two years (January 2021 to November 2022) the District has paid this vendor $59,682.50.

The November 2021 meeting indicated that the units cost $119 per unit per month, however none of that lines up with the bills received. It’s hard to pin down, without FOIA’ing the contract or bills exactly how much each unit costs.