MANCHESTER — Ramps and stairs leading to five portable classrooms at Manchester elementary schools will have to be replaced before the next school year starts, according to the official who oversees city buildings.

But Kevin O'Malley, director of city facilities, stressed that many of the 18 portables are reaching the end of their life cycle and will need to be replaced or receive expensive upkeep.

“The number-one question that has to be answered is how much longer are we going to use these things?” O'Malley said.

Last week, decking outside portable classrooms at Beech Street school collapsed, slightly injuring about a dozen students and sending city officials scrambling to inspect and reinforce decking at five schools.

Portables reopened Tuesday. But O'Malley said the work was meant only to shore up the ramps and stairs until the end of this school year.

O'Malley has earmarked about $70,000 worth of work for eight projects on portables this summer, he said. It includes new decks, ramps and handrails for the five schools, as well as roofs and skirting for some portables.

He said he is evaluating alternative materials for the ramps, including Amramp wheelchair ramps and precast concrete steps.

He said the city has 18 portables: four at Beech Street, three at Green Acres, two at Northwest and one each at Hallsville, Weston, Gossler and Wilson. The city also has three at Manchester School of Technology and one each at Parkside and Hillside middle schools.

He said ramps at Beech Street, Wilson, McDonough, Northwest and Weston should be replaced this summer.

“I put them all in the category of marginally adequate to inadequate,” O'Malley said of the ramps. He said it will cost about $11,000 to replace the ramps at each of the five schools.

O'Malley spoke after meeting with city school officials Thursday. He said Superintendent Tom Brennan had to leave the meeting before O'Malley got a clear indication of plans for the future of portables.

“I really didn't get an answer I needed for the schools,” O'Malley said.

Although the life of the portables can be extended, significant expenditures would be needed, he said.

School board member John Avard, chairman of the Building and Sites Committee, said school officials have known for some time the portables are nearing the end of their life.

“We don't intend to continue to use them indefinitely,” Avard said.

He said portables could be reduced if the city finds a single spot for its preschool program, which is now in four city schools, and redistricts.

Brennan has spent most of his attention on the school budget and has not been able to address redistricting, Avard said.

“We're not currently working on a particular plan, but redistricting is not dead,” he said.

What's next: About $70,000 of work will be done on portable classrooms this summer.