School board approves funds for school construction

Maricopa Unified School District governing board members at their Wednesday meeting voted to approve the use of $7 million in bond funds for a new middle school at Tortosa and Phase II of the high school’s renovation.

In addition, the Guaranteed Maximum Price for a new elementary school in the Villages was set at just over $10 million.

Bond funds for the high school ($6 million) will be used for earthwork, site utilities, concrete, mechanical and electrical as part of Phase II of the school’s renovation. The additional $1 million will provide funds for grading and preliminary work on the Tortosa Middle School site to help ensure the school will be ready for an Aug. 2008 opening.

Total cost for the new Villages elementary school will be just over $10 million. The state’s School Facilities Board will provide $8,599,288 with an additional $1 million coming from district bond monies and $567,178 from adjacent ways.

The Read 180 intervention program for middle and high school students was approved and adopted; however, it will only be purchased if funds can be located via grants or other funding options. Potential funding sources for the $85,300 program price tag include: Title I, School Improvement, Comprehensive School Reform and Title V Innovative Program Funds.

Software, high-interest literature and directed reading instruction would be utilized to better prepare students who struggle with reading and have difficulty with the AIMS test.

Photo by Joyce Hollis