By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX
Chandler Unified School District is looking to build a new elementary school at Ocotillo Road and 14th Street in Gilbert, due to rising enrollment rates in the southeast region of the district.
The project, called Elementary School #31, is planned as the development of a 91KSF building on 13 acres and will include a central plant with chiller system and site development, as well as off-site improvements.
The off-site improvements will include half-street improvements to Ocotillo Road and 148th Street.
In order to support continued growth in that region of the district, Chandler Unified School District Governing Board approved boundary changes at their May 22 meeting. The approved changes will allow the students and staff at Weinberg Elementary School to move to the new facility while transforming Weinberg into a gifted academy.
The new boundary changes will take affect before the 2020-2021 school year.
Weinberg students will also be heavily involved in developing the school’s culture by helping decide on school colors, mascot and song.
The district’s governing board also approved an architectural and engineering contract with HDA Architects for the project in the amount of $817,650.00 on May 22. According to the governing board documents, the project is expected to be a site adaptation of Auxier Elementary School in Queen Creek.
According to an East Valley Tribune article dated May 25, “Funding for the project could come from a potential bond election. On [June 12], the board is scheduled to discuss the bond and whether to hold the election this year. Of the projected total, $70M would be set-aside to purchase the land for an elementary school and potentially a high school that would not be built in the near future. It would also cover construction costs for both facilities.”
The new elementary school is scheduled to be complete July 2020.