School officials have taken a step back in plans to put three kindergarten classrooms at the Westbrook Community Center after parents questioned the idea at a heavily attended public meeting last week.

Superintendent of Schools Marc Gousse said Tuesday that those questions from the June 9 meeting have caused him to look more closely at plans for adding the classrooms. The need for additional space has been discussed at length this year, with student enrollments in kindergarten growing, and the district’s elementary schools and middle school at capacity.

“This is not a done deal,” Gousse said about the community center classrooms.

Some $25,000 was added to next year’s budget for a solution, he said, whether that means renting space in the community center or utilizing additional portable classrooms. The school department already has multiple portables at Saccarappa and Congin elementary schools.

A recent enrollment study and substantial housing development in the city are also pointing to an upward tick in numbers, putting more pressure on school officials to find short- and long-term solutions.

In the short term, Gousse said, the department needs to find an immediate solution to housing three kindergarten classrooms – a decision that he said must be made in the next few weeks. However, last week’s meeting prompted Gousse to relook at the logistical questions, such as updating fire codes to national standards for public schools, as well as transportation.

“It caused us to take a step back and consider all the options,” he said. “I want to do this right.”

Gousse estimated that 50-60 parents came to the public meeting last week, held the same day as the school budget validation referendum.

Discussions about the school’s plans have also taken place on social media. Westbrook parent Mark Campbell took detailed notes from the meeting and posted them for parents who couldn’t make it. Campbell urged parents with children aged 1-4 to “read and weigh in,” stating that the community center option seems to be “more a long-term than short-term fix.”

At the meeting, school officials told parents that the proposal would send one class from each elementary school, each made up of 18 students (for a total of 54), to the community center. Next year’s classes would be made up of students from this year’s pre-K program, already housed at the community center.

Gousse said that if costs associated with the community center proposal come back higher than expected, especially due to building upgrades, he must have a “plan B and plan C.”

Over the past few years, the community center has received more than $1 million in grants for upgrades, but Gousse said there are higher standards set for public school buildings.

The backup plans involve buying additional portables to house at Saccarappa or Canal. Gousse said Title 1 classrooms, which are used for one-on-one instruction, could be relocated to portables, freeing up space for the kindergarten classrooms.

School Committee member Veronica Bates said a lot of parents she has talked to are “concerned about class sizes at all of the schools,” due to space constraints.

“The parents I have spoken with want to see an expansion sooner than later,” she said, adding that overall, she believes parents seem to be OK with using community center space “as long as it really is temporary.”

Gousse told parents that the short-term solution would most likely be in place for at least the next three to four years. In the meantime, he said, a long-term expansion project must be planned.

“I don’t see any other way around it given our enrollment and projections,” he said.

Gousse and other school officials have said that an expansion plan would include a renovation of Saccarappa Elementary School and the addition of the third-floor wing of classrooms at Westbrook Middle School. The project would be entirely funded by local property taxes. Gousse said they are planning for the spring or fall of 2016 for a referendum vote on the plan.

Alex Stone, also a school committee member and parent, said most parents are doing what they should be doing – asking questions. He said parents are trying to grasp the short- and long-term solutions, and how schools will be affected by development.

“The largest development in the city’s history just got approved,” he said. “How is that going to affect the schools? I think it’s going to be far different than what they’re projecting.”

Stone was referring to the Blue Spruce Farm subdivision, approved by the Westbrook Planning Board two weeks ago and signaling the beginning of a 183-unit housing development off Spring Street. A study coinciding with the plan projects between 30-40 school-age children to come from the development.

“People have to look at the whole picture,” he said. “Wanting growth comes at a price.”