Officials with Edmonton Public Schools are looking for solutions, as numbers show overcrowding in a number of schools is not expected to slow down anytime soon.

Edmonton Public Schools told CTV News Tuesday that there are over 3,200 more students in the public school system than there were at the same time in 2012 – that’s enough to fill three schools.

Overcrowding is evident in a number of schools in the city, such as Dr. Donald Massey School on 54 Street and 162 Avenue.

At one point, the school’s gym acted as a temporary classroom for three classes, or a total of 90 children.

“Overall, I think they were still getting a great education, the teachers worked so hard to work together to make sure everything was coordinated,” Principal Jennifer Allen said. “In some ways, it was nice because one teacher could be teaching the class using a microphone, and the others could go around and help individual students.”

Over the entire public school district, student population had grown by 2,000 more than the school board expected.

“The last three years we’ve grown considerably and this year has been the biggest growth year,” Edmonton Public School Board Chair Sarah Hoffman said.

“We’re going to do everything to meet their needs in terms of hiring and space, but of course, space is a significant challenge right now.”

It’s also an issue the province is aware of. On Monday, Premier Alison Redford announced plans for a new school for the Windermere area – although it’s slated for the Edmonton Catholic School district.

Edmonton Catholic School officials told CTV News the district has about 1,200 more students than expected.

“I have to admit that I was disappointed that we didn’t receive any new schools announced yesterday,” Hoffman said. “I know that parents are frustrated and want to make sure that, parents want to make sure that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

As for the situation at Dr. Donald Massey School, the gym isn’t expected to be used as a classroom in the near future – there are now three portable classrooms on site.

Public school officials said projections for the next school year are based on pre-enrollment numbers.

With files from Brenna Rose