An uptick in pre-kindergarten enrollment has Okarche’s new elementary school already out of space.

The Okarche Board of Education voted last week to purchase a portable classroom to be placed at the elementary beginning with the 2023-24 school year.

The portable building became a necessity when Okarche’s pre-k enrollment hit 30 students.

The previous limit for pre-k was 20 students. The district bumped it up to 30 for this year and saw it hit that number.

That prompted the board in May to split the students into two classes of 15.

The problem? “We are out of classrooms in the elementary,” said Okarche Superintendent Josh Sumrall. “So we decided to purchase a portable classroom for more space.”

Five new elementary teachers were also hired during the June meeting, including Lyric Allen to teach one of those pre-k classes.

Also added were Amy Parcell and Emma Wood for second grade, Abby Chadd for fourth grade and Amanda Bekkelund for fifth grade.

The fourth grade spot opened up when Halli Ford, who taught that grade the last several years, slid into the role of art teacher for the elementary, junior high and high school.

Wood was at Kingfisher the latter part of last school year.

Okarche also made official the hires of two other KPS staff members.

T.J. Harris was approved as the high school speech/ drama/ debate/ English teacher.

That void was left in Okarche when longtime teacher Lyndal Westmoreland passed away unexpectedly in March.

Okarche also hired Janet Pennington to teach junior high and high school math.

Also approved by the board was the hiring of Skye Tilley to coach junior high and high school softball.

Okarche isn’t the only district in the county forced to use portable buildings next year.

The Cashion school district has ordered multiple portable buildings to house its ever-increasing enrollment.

Voters in that district shot down a $21.5 bond issue in May.

That bond issue would have supported the addition of five classrooms at the high school, two in the elementary and a new cafeteria/ kitchen that would have also included a stage. Cashion’s enrollment has swelled by 260 students since 2014-15, including 30 last year, a trend that is expected to continue.