Solution to overcrowded school: buy an office building

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -

What do you do if you have a very overcrowded elementary school in a built-up suburb? Well, in the case of Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences in Fairfax County, Va., officials have bought a $10 million office building. They plan on turning it into a school by this fall.

Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences is an unusual public school. The Arts and Sciences magnet program offers classes like drama and "creative movement."

Bailey's is also one of the county's language immersion schools. Students in that program learn all their math, science and health in Spanish. Language and social studies classes are taught in English. Both programs are quite popular.

And on top of those magnet programs, the neighborhood near the school is exploding with immigrant families, few of whom can afford private school.

Bailey's has about 1,360 students -- that's 130 percent of its physical capacity. The library was cut in half to generate more classroom space.

We asked principal Marie Lemmon, "Why don't you just bring in portable classrooms?

"We have done that," Lemmon replied. "We have over 19 portable classrooms, plus a ten-room modular [wing]."

That's a total of 29 classrooms that are outside of the main building at Bailey's. It's a logistical nightmare for teachers.

"We don't have running water," sighed fourth grade teacher Elise LaPointe. "So we have to come inside whenever we have to do science, or drink water, or go to the bathroom -- anything."

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Solution to overcrowded school: buy an office building