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Mesa board approves Polaris Academy lease at Rhodes Junior High; board seeks assurances on facilities and staffing
Summary
The Mesa board approved a lease agreement with Polaris Academy for space at Rhodes Junior High, voting 5‑0. Trustees heard concerns from teachers about displaced classrooms and asked district staff to include teachers in renovation planning; the lease includes fingerprint/background provisions.
The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board voted 5‑0 to approve a lease agreement allowing Polaris Academy to occupy space at Rhodes Junior High. The vote approved the lease after district staff described planned renovations and commitments to address teacher concerns about displaced classrooms and specialized spaces.
Board discussion ahead of the vote focused on the condition of Rhodes campus space, timelines for renovations, and whether affected teachers would be included in planning. District leaders said a walk‑through and planning session would follow board approval and that operations and construction staff would work with the school to avoid moving teachers into temporary or inappropriate spaces. The district also said it expects to recoup renovation costs through the lease and that funds generated would be used for facility needs districtwide.
Nathan Palmer, co‑founder and chief executive of Polaris Academy, told the board the organization would comply with district requirements and welcomed a condition in the lease that staff, contractors and vendors comply with the district’s fingerprinting and background‑check requirements.
Board members asked about tenant build‑out timing and whether the tenant would pay utilities and be responsible for capital improvements within its rented space. District officials said Polaris would pay utilities and be responsible for capital improvements that remain within the tenant footprint, while the district would maintain core building systems such as HVAC and fire alarms.
The district indicated it will work to prioritize necessary renovations so teachers and students are moved into appropriate classrooms as soon as possible; some members said they were appreciative of the creative approach to using underutilized space. The vote to approve the lease passed unanimously; the minutes recorded the tally as 5 yays.
