A plan to replace portable classrooms belonging to the Northwest Early College High School in El Paso with an actual building could cost as much as $25 million, according to sources.
That facility, located at 6701 S. Desert Boulevard and a Department of Education-recognized Blue Ribbon school, has seen its enrollment grow from 324 students a few years ago to now around 400.
Funding to build the new school will come out of a $264 million bond on this November’s election that, if approved by voters, will also pay for the reconstruction of the Canutillo Middle School at 7311 Bosque Road. That project is expected to cost around $62 million.
The projects in the Canutillo Independent School District largely represent the growth of the district itself which a decade ago had less than 6,000 residents but could well be nearing the 8,000 mark by 2032.
An additional bond-funded project will see the building of a new Jose J. Alderete Middle School, which is currently located at 801 Talbot Avenue, in another location north of Interstate 10.
Also planned: the addition of a new wing at the Reyes Elementary School at 7440 Northern Pass Drive in El paso.
The bond will also fund up to $14 million for security and safety upgrades at every one of the district’s schools.
The Canutillo ISD serves the towns of Canutillo and Vinton, as well as a portion of El Paso.
District officials are not taking the November election for granted: even though voters approved a similar bond in 2011, they turned down by a two-to-one margin two bond proposals totaling $187.5 million last year.
By Garry Boulard
