MUSD continues building schools

“Dust will be flying sometime next week in the Villages” as the Maricopa Unified School District (MUSD) continues building to accommodate the influx of new students.

Facilities Manager Paul Kasparian announced that the district’s fifth elementary school will begin construction in the Villages. Number six will be in Glennwilde, and a second middle school is slated for the Tortosa development. “We have to keep building more schools,” he said.

At Wednesday’s school board meeting, Kasparian noted that both the Facilities Team and the Educational Task Force have goals and objectives “designed to meet the needs of students” in terms of land acquisition, site selection and communication with the public.

Governing board members approved an increase in square footage at Maricopa Wells Middle School to accommodate 900 students with a 1,088 maximum enrollment. The state’s School Facilities Board will be asked to fund the additional classroom space, allowing bond funds to build a gymnasium at that site.

Gilleland, Brubaker Architects, already under contract to the district, will design the Maricopa Wells addition. The business office will put out a request for qualifications (RFQ) for construction services for this project.

The location for a third middle school was also approved. Currently the only site available consists of two parcels, 12 acres each, separated by Placone Lane (which runs from the Rancho El Dorado Pkway to Powers Pkway at Rancho El Dorado Lakes. If approved, the school buildings are expected to be on the north side of Placone with ball fields across the road.

Photo by Joyce Hollis