School board members took the first step toward finding a new site for Maricopa Unified School District’s third middle school.

The MUSD Governing Board entered a closed meeting last night to discuss land acquisition. The board then reconvened in public to direct MUSD Supt. Tracey Lopeman to form a committee to evaluate possible sites for the new middle school’s construction.

The executive session was allowed under the Arizona Open Meetings Law’s exemptions.

“We want to move on this as fast as we can,” school board President Robert Downey said before going into closed session with his fellow members.

The Arizona School Facilities Division approved funding for a third middle school last month. The approved funding for the new middle school is $31 million.

The district will work with a broker to identify 25- to 30-acre parcels within district boundaries, said MUSD spokesperson Mishell Terry.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the next 12 to 15 months, with an expected opening in July 2026.

MUSD’s existing middle schools are Desert Wind, 35565 W. Honeycutt Road on the city’s east side, and Maricopa Wells, 45725 W. Honeycutt Ave. in West Maricopa.

The district in July 2022 opened its newest school, Desert Sunrise High School, 16200 N. Murphy Road on the west side of town.

Districtwide enrollment hovers around 9,200 students and school district officials project to growth to about 12,300 by the 2028-29 school year.

Terry said the district hopes to have a site recommendation within six months, unless more time is needed.

“Once we receive the funding appropriated by the legislature, the board will initiate the process to select an architect and contractor,” Terry said.

Site maps show land is allocated for new elementary and middle schools for the Amarillo Creek subdivision just south of city limits.

Proposals from Amarillo Creek developer Ashton Woods plan for new schools for the 175 acres where 600 homes are designated. The site is south of the Ak-Chin Indian Community bounded to the south of Peters and Nall Road, north of Papago Road, west of Green Road and east of Amarillo Valley Road.

The subdivision is projected to house about 1,560 residents when built out, officials said.

The school district based in Maricopa serves several communities outside city limits already, including Hidden Valley, Thunderbird Farms and Ak-Chin Village.

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