BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Brevard County School Board is looking at short- and long-term plans to accommodate the increase in students.

School officials say with more than 6,000 people moving to the area annually, schools are projected to be overcapacity in the next two years, especially in Palm Bay.

The current population is just under 146,000 — a 21% increase since the 2020 census.

The schools with the most immediate needs in classroom space are Westside Elementary, Sunrise Elementary, and Bayside High School.

Bayside High is now operating at 90% capacity and projected to increase to 103% by the 2027 school year.

A two-story classroom addition would add 700 student stations to keep up with the growth.

Sunrise is currently over capacity, operating at 101%. They project the school to reach 117% by 2027.

The plan would turn Sunrise into a K-8 model.

“From a staffing side of it, you only need one principal. Probably can use some of the same specialty teachers. There are certainly benefits to it, and you also have to weigh what the potential drawbacks are,” said John Thomas, a Brevard school board member.

Westside Elementary is also over capacity, operating at 105%, and that number expected to increase to 118% by 2026.

The proposal for Westside would include an additional 12 classrooms, with four portable classrooms coming from Bayside High this summer.

The projections show even a small enrollment increase could require more classrooms.

“Our facilities staff is on it," Thomas said. "They monitor the growth and population trends on a daily basis, and we are doing our very best to spend every dollar wisely, and to make sure the kids get the very best education possible.”

The costs of all projects total $47 million.

A new central Brevard transportation and maintenance facility is also being built as part of the district’s five-year work plan.