Voters in a growing school district in southern Arizona populated with buildings that are more than 30 years old will decide on a big bond this November to fund upgrades to those buildings.
Located in Maricopa County, the Gilbert Public Schools district is one of the oldest in the state, having been founded in 1913, and one of the largest, with more than 34,000 students.
Earlier this year members of the Gilbert Public Schools’ Governing Board voted to put on the November ballot a question proposing a $100 million bond designed to address a wide array of facility needs.
Among the projects to be funded, if the bond passes, is $63 million in both critical building upgrades as well as the replacement of several structures. Some $12 million will target district-wide safety and security work, while another $12 million will go for technology infrastructure work.
According to district documents, there is currently a backlog of around $178 million in outstanding facility upgrade projects. A report earlier compiled by the Framingham, Massachusetts-based Amerisco, a firm specializing in infrastructure upgrade work, the average age for a Gilbert school building is now about 32 years old.
A recent story in the Gilbert Sun News reports that the district has been spending between $20 million and $25 million to maintain the condition of its facilities.
The district’s enrollment growth, jumping from around 29,000 in the year 2000 to the current just over 34,000, reflects the overall population growth of the city of Gilbert itself, which has gone from 109,000 two decades ago around 270,000 today.
By Garry Boulard
