Maricopa Unified School District officials predict growth will necessitate the building of a new elementary school – the city’s seventh – in the near future.
Officials expect ongoing growth to add nearly 1,000 students to the current elementary student enrollment of 3,880 in the next five years. The six schools currently in operation have a capacity of 4,933, and two of the schools are expected to hit capacity in the 2026-2027 school year.
MUSD CFO Jacob Harmon predicts the Arizona Legislature will approve a new school for the District in 2023 and fund it in 2024. Since schools generally take two years to build, the new facility would be ready for the 2026-2027 school year.
There are currently two design models in use at MUSD – a small build with between 21 and 24 classrooms, and a larger size with 43 classrooms. Harmon expects the new school to follow the larger format, which covers approximately 76KSF and costs roughly $22M.
Costs could increase between now and the start of construction, and the State has added an inflation adjustment to build schools to the minimum standard. The district is required to pay for any additional improvements.
While no site has been selected yet, two parcels have been donated to the district and the City has preliminary agreements in hand for two more. (Source)