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Due to high elementary school enrollment in the district, the Barack H. Obama School may be put back into operation as an elementary school come September.

The Asbury Park Board of Education voted 9-0 Tuesday night to have school administrators develop a reorganization plan and provide a cost analysis of what it would take to put the building back among the districts roster of schools and present their findings to the board at next month’s meeting.

“I think it has a lot of positive benefits to the district, we would be able to accommodate all the needs of various departments,” said Interim Superintendent Robert Mahon. “One of the things that struck me is that we do have this facility and we are not making good use of it.”

Mahon is concerned with the district’s spread on enrollment and said Bradley Elementary School classrooms are maxed out on students. He initially introduced the measure as a recommendation to definitively utilize the building in the fall but board members scaled back the motion after discussing costs and equipment.

“We need to find out how much it is going to cost and whether it can be done by September,” said board member Connie Sue Breech.

Formerly the Bangs Avenue school, the Barack H. Obama building was closed by State Monitor Bruce Rodman in the 2011-2012 school year based on declining enrollment and the board’s failure to approve a reorganization plan proposed by then Superintendent Denise Lowe to use the Obama school in a different configuration, according to Mahon.

The board opposed the closing of the school but Rodman’s authority in the matter prevailed, he said.

Most recently, a plan was developed to move the administrative offices from a leased space in the Press Building downtown into the Obama building, but that did not happen, Mahon said.

The building, located at 1300 Bangs Avenue, is currently home to the Dorothy L. McNish Parent Center, the early childhood education department and the child study team.

The proposed district reorganization would see the Obama building operate as an elementary school once again, serving Pre-K to fifth grade students along with Bradley Elementary and Thurgood Marshall Elementary schools. Asbury Park Middle School would house grades 6 to 8 and grades 9 to twelve would remain at Asbury Park High School.

“I’m very excited about it, just speaking for myself,” said board member Nicolle D. Harris. “What I do want to suggest is that when we are in the process to get an advisory committee of parents and others together.”

Board member Corey Lowell agreed, adding the suggestion of an ad hoc board committee to help guide the administration though the process.

Board member Felicia Simmons, whose son is in fifth grade, recalled the disorganization that took place during the last district  reorganization in the 2011-2012 school year and said that if the board chose to vote to reopen the school, keeping stability with parents was her utmost concern.

Some duplication of positions will have to occur in guidance and administrative services, but there should not be an increase in the need for teachers, Mahon said.

“I’m very excited about opening the school back up,” said board member Christian Hall. “I just want to make sure it is up to par in terms of safety.”

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