Woodson Kindergarten Center could get a little breathing room in a hurry if school officials have their way.

If a bond referendum on potential school projects passes in Austin this November, Woodson Kindergarten Center could get an expansion done by the 2012 school year for about $2.3 million, according to project details district officials showed the Austin Public School board Monday.

The renovations, which would add six classroom spaces, 900 square feet each, to the south side of the building and allow for some flexibility when it comes to classroom size, would help an already-packed school.

“We’re not doing the best things for kids with the structure that we have,” said Chairman Aaron Keenan during Monday’s special session meeting. “I just can’t see another 40 kids in this building.”

Plans call for the administration office to move from the west side to the room to the first room south of Woodson’s entrance. The west wing would turn into a special needs area, with an additional room for special education students’ bathroom needs, which they don’t have now. An additional bathroom would also be built.

The six classroom spaces aren’t necessarily for classrooms alone. While those six spaces will be used for classes, two of the empty rooms would be converted into computer labs and another two rooms would house play centers, which occupy part of Woodson’s gym. That means Woodson would gain two classrooms from the renovations, but the play centers could move back to the gym to make room for more students should the need arise.

“This would be programming that we could only dream of,” said Woodson Principal Jean McDermott.

District officials say the project would cost about $2.3 million based on rough estimates. That falls on the low end of the facility task force recommendations, which wanted Woodson renovations to cost between $2 and $5 million, in keeping with its stipulation that all increasing enrollment-related projects cost less than $30 million in total.

The renovations would raise Woodson’s capacity to about 396 students, up from 352 students. Woodson has 371 students this year, and district officials project almost 400 students will attend kindergarten this fall.

Board members reiterated Monday that the district was expected to have paid off a $20 million levy for Austin High School renovations this year. That means if Austin residents pass a bond referendum this November, taxes would be raised by a much smaller amount, since taxes that would be assessed for that $20 million levy would go towards the increasing enrollment projects instead. Taxpayers would pay additionally for the difference, according to superintendent David Krenz.