MIDDLETON, Wis. -- Officials in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District are scrambling to look for options to alleviate overcrowding concerns.

A spring referendum, if passed, would have laid the foundation for a new elementary school, but that measure failed at the polls. The district school board is now currently researching four options and two of those options involve boundary changes, WISC-TV reported.

Some parents said that the situation is potentially problematic.

"It's much more than just numbers," said Middleton parent Kim Krigbaum. "It's much more than a bus ride. It's really difficult."

Parents like Krigbaum said they feel stuck on a seesaw.

"I think we can speak from a different perspective because we already did it one time," said Krigbaum.

Krigbaum said that she watched her children's friendships broken by a boundary adjustment five years ago. Those parents said a plan to ease overcrowding by redistricting shouldn't be rushed.

"We feel they're going way too fast with this process at this one point in time," said parent Dan Day.

Day said he's concerned over what he said is a lack of answers about how middle-school boundary lines might be moved if elementary school students are shuffled.

"For travel time for middle school, it would be a tremendous difference," said Day. "Where we can be at Kromrey in 10 minutes, if we go to Glacier Creek, it's about 25 minutes out."

School officials said that they understand parents' concerns.

"We're trying to do our best to work with parents and families, but we're under a very short timeline," said Superintendent Don Johnson.

Johnson said he would rather not rush, but the district must plan for the coming school year.

"I think we have differing opinions in the community," said Johnson. "Some that say we should move right now and shift those boundaries immediately, others are saying -- maybe ought to wait for a year."

Krigbaum said she hopes waiting will give way to better options.

"All of our kids had to go through it, and we don't want anybody in the community to have to go through it," said Krigbaum.

One option on the table includes moving some kindergarten into space at the district's headquarters, which would free up class space in the schools. If that is the way the school board decides to go, decisions would need to be made so renovations could be made before fall.

Another option includes waiting another year before making any changes.

The school board could make a decision as early as Monday night. There is a meeting at 7 p.m. at district headquarters.