Oak Harbor Public Schools will hold meetings next week to discuss reconfiguring of middle schools next year.

Parents of current fourth and fifth-grade students are invited to a presentation about the district’s new middle school plans. During the meeting, they can ask questions and express concerns.

For parents of fifth graders, a meeting is set for 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday. A meeting was held Tuesday for parents of fourth graders.

Full-time elementary student enrollment is at a 30-year high in Oak Harbor while the middle school population is at its lowest in years, according to Conor Laffey, communications officer for the Oak Harbor District.

A decision was made last February to reconfigure Oak Harbor Middle School to be an intermediate school for fifth and sixth grade students.North Whidbey Middle School would hold seventh and eight grade students.

While not everyone was happy about the proposed changes, Laffey said, the changes are mostly met with overwhelming support.

“Over 80 percent of parents and staff rated the solution as good or excellent in a survey,” he said.

Laffey said that parents are excited that the intermediate and middle school would be more developmentally appropriate post-reconfiguration.

Assistant Superintendent Steve King said the increase in elementary school enrollment required the installation of portables at each of the five elementary schools. A total of 28 classrooms were added over the past three years at a cost of approximately $3 million, a figure that includes the costs of furniture, technology and curriculum.

“The school buildings were never intended to reach their current capacity,” King said. “The reconfiguration allows our district to be prepared for the expected increase in our student population”

The district is projecting continued growth in conjunction with the increasing population at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

A major concern about the reconfiguration for parents is adding an extra transition for the students but the benefits far outweigh the concerns, King said, adding that a larger school means more electives and opportunities for students.

“We have to be good stewards of our resources,” he said.

Many of the specific details are still being developed and each school has a subcommittee dedicated to reviewing any topics or concerns, he said.

The district has posted a page with frequently asked questions on its website at www.ohsd.net/Page5876