The Chandler (Arizona) school board has approved a nearly $42 million contract for a rebuild of Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School.
The Chandler Independent reports that Hartford, which was completed in 1957, is the district’s oldest in-use elementary school.
The rebuild is meant to boost enrollment to a maximum of 750 pre-K-6 students and reduce repair, maintenance and operating costs.
Hartford will be the second elementary in the Chandler district to be rebuilt in recent years. Galveston Elementary has been converted from a high-maintenance, 1960s single-story school to a more efficient two-story facility.
The Hartford replacement school building will have about 83,000 square feet of space. Parts of the classroom buildings will be two stories, like the Galveston rebuild, with a single story closest to the north edge of campus.
The new construction will be done mainly in the north athletic field area of the campus, Assistant Superintendent Tom Dunn said. Students will be able to remain on campus throughout construction.
The district hopes students can move into the new buildings in July 2027. Demolition of the old campus will be completed in early 2028, and new play areas will be constructed on the sites of the demolished buildings.
