The third largest school district in Arizona, and still growing, has put on the ballot for this November a big $480 million bond designed to upgrade nearly 90 separate schools.
With more than 40,000 students and encompassing some 230 square miles, the Tucson Unified School District is confronting a facility challenge familiar to many districts across the country: the median age of its buildings is around 55 years old, with some structures having been built more than a century ago.
One of the larger proposed individual school projects to be funded by the bond will see just over $4 million spent on system upgrades, a sewer line replacement, and security updates at the Booth-Fickett K-8 Magnet School, located at 450 S. Montego Drive.
Slightly under $4 million will target water and sewer line replacement work at the Catalina High School, located at 3645 E. Pima Street, as well as new interior and exterior lighting, and renovations to the school’s auto and welding shop.
Another roughly $3 million will go for sewer and water line replacement work, along with new electronic heating and cooling system controls, and general building renovations at the Miles Exploratory Learning Center at 1400 E. Broadway Boulevard.
According to information released by the district, additional facility work will see the repairing of any number of athletic fields, ball courts and gymnasiums, not to mention fine and performing arts space improvements.
Proponents of the bond heading into the fall election will have their work cut out for them: in 2017 district voters rejected a similar, but much smaller $180 million bond by a 59% to 41% margin.
By Garry Boulard
