The West Bend School District is in one of the fastest growing areas of the state. Since last school year they've added 200 students. Now the problem is where to put all the kids.
WEST BEND -The West Bend School District is in one of the fastest growing areas of the state. Since last school year they've added 200 students.
Now the problem is where to put all the kids.
Letty Rios and her daughter are ready for a new school year at Jackson Elementary.
"She's getting very excited about going back and being with her friends again," said Rios.
Letty loves her daughter's school, but admits it's crowded.
"I'm thinking we're pretty much at the limit. Looking at the numbers of kids and the places to park when you pick up the kids, it is pretty congested."
Jackson's so congested, some kids will learn in the original one room school house built in 1894.
"We've added portable classes or trailers to a couple of the elementary schools," said Patricia Herdrich, West Bend's School Superintendent.
"We've pulled the fifth graders of Fairpark Elementary School and put them at the middle school."
The West Bend district had to hire more teachers at the last minute to accommodate the extra kids.
The school board asked taxpayers for millions of dollars to expand elementary and middle schools, but voters rejected that in April.
That means officials have to find other ways to deal with growth.
"It's going to be a K-12 issue," said Herdrich.
"Right now it's concentrated at the elementary level and it's going to hit the middle schools."
So far, Letty doesn't think the larger classes have affected her daughter's education.
"They seem to be handling it pretty well, even though our classrooms are larger."
The problem isn't going away. District leaders say they're expected to grow for the next several years.
Voters did agree to re-build one elementary school in an April referendum.