With a number of Omaha Public Schools crowded beyond capacity, the district announced Monday it will build an elementary and middle school.

Ashland Park Robbins Elementary has 1,190 pre-K through sixth-grade students jammed into one school, though 800 students would be ideal for the building. Many have to take classes in portables and the area around the school is growing.

“It’s very affordable housing in the area, we get a lot of young families and with that comes kids and the area is also pretty high in population of preschools and a lot of times we pick up some kids from those schools also as transfers,” says the school’s Ray Perrigo.

He says teachers and staff are doing a wonderful job dealing with the large number of students. “It’s just so important to get those numbers down so we get to know the kids, the parents a little bit better than with 1,200 students.”

The OPS Planning Committee understands the need and has proposed to build an elementary and a middle school at 42nd and V streets. The schools will be constructed on land already owned by the district and will take pressure off of three overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

"We have an enrollment problem of being overcrowded at Ashland Park Robbins, Hillside and Pawnee as there’s need for taking pressure off these schools so a new school is a high priority facility for our district,” says Dr. Jerry Bartee with OPS.

The committee approved the concept for the elementary and middle schools. Now, architects will draw up plans and the district will figure out a dollar amount for the project. If all goes well, the new schools should open by fall 2011.