Maricopa Unified School District’s chief financial officer on Wednesday laid out new project details on a proposed $70 million bond election the district will take to voters Nov. 5.
Jacob Harmon said the bond election, if it passes, will address rapid enrollment growth in Maricopa as MUSD approaches 10,000 students.
“The $70 million bond will supplement state funding for school construction and expansion over several years,” he told the MUSD Governing Board Wednesday. Harmon said the bond amount is set to avoid a tax rate increase.
“Our bond tax rate decreased 12 cents this year, from 92 cents down to 80 cents,” Harmon said. If this $70 million bond passed in November the tax rate will not go above 80 cents and will carry an average tax rate of 63 cents.”
Proposed is funding for two new schools for students between kindergarten and eighth grades. This includes a middle school and an elementary school.
Also proposed are Maricopa High School facilities for Career and Technical Education, college preparation and workforce development. This would add instructional space, Harmon said.
Adding classroom space to existing schools is also proposed and would be supported in the bond issue.
The new middle school in the Sorrento community will cost nearly $44 million.
“The Sorrento site south of North Sorrento Boulevard was donated to the district,” said MUSD spokesperson Mishell Terry.
“We will receive additional funds for using a donation site and approximately $500,000 of additional grant funds from the state for using a donation site,” Terry said.
Construction would break ground in the summer next year and take two years to build.
“We were awarded a grant from the Arizona School Facilities Division for new school construction,” she said. The grant is awarded at $320.54 per square foot to build 96,670 square feet.
The total state grant is almost $31 million.
State school construction dollars come because of the grant award from the state school facilities division and the state legislature’s approval two months ago.
The last Maricopa middle school was built in 2009. The new school would house about 1,200 students and open during the 2026-2027 school year.
The district would dole out about $25 million for improvements at Maricopa High School, Harmon said.
The new elementary school would be built starting in July 2026 and completed by July 2028. It is planned to have 96,670 square feet at a cost of $44 million and include a state grant of $41.7 million.
Harmon said the cost of an additional 125,000 square feet of classroom space would cost $56.8 million and come with a state grant of $44.7 million.
The four projects come to a cost of about $69 million.
“Obviously, we need the bond in order for our students to receive a first-class education,” school board member Torri Anderson said. She expressed concern about losing SFD grant funding, which could lead to “bare bones” classrooms.
Board Vice President Patti Coutré said she was glad Harmon’s plan as presented was simple and limited to four projects.
“It’s all about new facilities for our students and staff, and the community is going to have a chance, an opportunity to invest in our schools,” Coutré said. “I hope that they will because we’re not raising taxes and we’re going to be able to keep that standard, keep our class sizes where they need to be with the community support.”
Board President Robert Downey said he agreed with Coutré and was glad the bond proposal was academically based.