Space is getting so tight at Oak Harbor Public Schools, officials are considering what it would take to buy and remodel the Oak Harbor Christian School.

Enrollment is at an all-time high, with classroom space at such a premium that some classes are being taught in the hallway of Crescent Harbor Elementary School.

“That’s the future we’re going to have if we don’t have resources to address these growth needs,” Superintendent Lance Gibbon told the school board Monday night.

The Christian school is not for sale. Gibbon insisted the district’s interest in the property is “purely exploratory.”

“We’re initiating a conversation with the principal,” he said. “We might want to work together to make use of that space in a way that’s mutually beneficial.”

Oak Harbor Christian School, an institution in the city for more than 75 years, considered shutting its doors this year because of declining enrollment. Supporters rallied, raising money and enrollment. The school expects to remain open into the future, said principal Sherry Fakkema.

While the school is not for sale, the school’s board of trustees would consider selling if they could buy other property in Oak Harbor and build a new school, she said.

The school district hired a Seattle architectural firm to assess upgrades needed to turn the Christian school into a kindergarten center or a space for the district’s HomeConnection program, which allows home-schooled children to attend public school part time.

The firm found that the newest building on campus is ready to be occupied, but three other buildings need significant electrical and mechanical upgrades. The firm estimated the campus would need $3.8 million in work.

There are ways to reduce those costs, Gibbon said.

That total doesn’t include what it might cost to buy the school, which is located on 4.75 acres off East Whidbey Avenue. The campus consists of four buildings, two parking lots, paved play areas and grass playfields.

The school board decided Monday to spend an estimated $5,000 to get an appraisal for the property, but not everyone on the board agreed that was a good idea.

School board members Christine Cribb and Corey Johnson voted against it.

“I think we need to know if they are willing to sell before the district invests the resources and time,” Johnson said.

Island County lists the assessed value of the property as $2.5 million.

Enrollment is growing and is expected to continue to swell in the next few years. This year officials expected 60 more students — they got 160 more.

The district is considering other options. Those include building a new school, adding onto current schools or using modular construction, which goes up more quickly than traditional building and is customizable. But the district has to consider whether it needs to add more lunchroom and gym space and whether the current school sites can handle more buildings.

It will probably be some combination of these solutions and officials are focused on getting all the options on the table, Gibbon said.