COOS BAY — Coos Bay school officials are considering a plan to reconfigure the district’s buildings, though it is far from a done deal.

If implemented, Madison and Blossom Gulch elementary schools would teach students in kindergarten, first and second grade. Students in grades three through six would attend either Millicoma or Sunset schools. The two middle school grades would be taught at the Harding building, while alternative education programs would shift to Bunker Hill. Marshfield High School would continue in its current form.

Superintendent Bob De La Vergne said the concept came out of a meeting of district principals last week. Part of the reason the district proposed a $60 million bond measure was to alleviate crowded classrooms in Madison and Bunker Hill schools. Although voters rejected the ballot item, classroom crowding hasn’t gone away.

Bunker Hill and Madison elementary schools have more students than they were built to house, De La Vergne said. That’s partly due to larger kindergarten classes over the past few years.

When a large class goes through a school, it can create class sizes nearing 30 students, while other grades have close to 20.

Arlene Roblan, Madison’s principal, noted that her school’s first-grade classes are at 27 or 28 students, while other grades have lower levels.

Dale Inskeep, Bunker Hill’s principal, said there are close to 30 students in each second grade class a year after those same teachers had a little more than 20.

“Just that relationship time between 20 and 30 students is pretty significant,” he said.

The revised system would create greater flexibility, Business Manager Rod Danielson said, as there would be room to expand the number of classrooms in each building.

“At Bunker Hill you can’t add the teacher because you don’t have the space,” he said. “This gives you the opportunity to equalize class sizes.”

De La Vergne said it is critical to ensure students have the best learning environment at an early age. If they have a good handle on basic concepts heading into third grade, they will have more success later on. De La Vergne hopes the new system would foster greater collaboration among teachers who instruct similar age groups.

“It’s important to look at K-2, when they are learning how to learn,” he said. “Anytime you can target K-2, you have a winning program.”

School officials concede there would be drawbacks. Harding would require significant upgrades to house middle school students, and students in alternative learning programs would have less access to the high school.

And school board members know reconfiguring schools is a hot-button issue in the community.

Chairwoman Kathy Murray said more people have contacted her about the proposal than any other issue since she joined the board. Andy Post said he received a text message from someone who wanted to know how a school board member can be recalled after hearing about the proposal.

Board member Don Blom said it’s important to look beyond any initial skepticism.

“You have to expect an immediate, visceral, emotional response,” he said. “The thing is, we just want to hear everybody. That’s the way to get responses.”

De La Vergne said the changes could be implemented by next school year, though he emphasized nothing has been decided. He said the district sent its teaching and classified workers a survey about the idea on Friday and already 190 have returned responses.

He expects to schedule a forum to discuss the idea and if people don’t like it, it won’t happen.

“It’s just an idea folks,” he said. “We’re asking, ‘Can we have a discussion?’”

Danielson said the district hasn’t estimated the cost of reconfiguration because administrators don’t want to do it unless there is support.

Wally Hazen liked the idea of having middle schoolers near Marshfield so an ambitious eighth-grader could take advanced placement courses. De La Vergne noted the configuration would have a community feel to it, with students going from Madison to Sunset or Blossom Gulch to Millicoma.

Roblan said the two-step elementary school system would create an almost seamless transition, while allowing teachers at the early grade levels to focus on foundation skills.

The last big shift in the district came in 2002, when Eastside and Charleston elementary schools closed and Millicoma became an intermediate school, leaving Sunset as the district’s lone middle school.

De La Vergne said the goal is to improve student performance, and if people don’t like this idea, hopefully it will produce other ideas.

“It’s a first draft and not something that’s written in stone,” Roblan said. “We want to be real thoughtful about this.”