Queen Creek USD board approves Chrisman High parking additions, advances Eastmark plan

The Queen Creek Unified School District governing board approved a plan to add parking at Chrisman High School and heard a motion to advance a separate Eastmark High parking project during its regular meeting.

Amber Bordis, presenting the construction update, told the board the district completed an academic wing at Chrisman and recommended using school facilities division funds to finish the adjacent parking area. The board moved to approve the Chrisman High parking-lot additions using Core Construction; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Bob Lawson said the Chrisman project includes completing a paved lot and is timed to start over the summer and be finished before the next school year. Lawson also confirmed the district is constructing a concrete pad to install 244 bicycle parking spaces at Chrisman High to accommodate increased bike ridership.

On Eastmark High, Bordis explained remaining School Facilities Division funds would allow construction of one final parking lot that will expand campus capacity to 296 spaces, including 10 handicap spaces. A board member moved to approve the Eastmark parking additions using Core Construction; the meeting excerpt does not record the subsequent vote in the provided transcript.

Board members also discussed roadway improvements tied to Chrisman High. Bordis said the Cloud Road traffic-circle project will complete required road improvements identified in a traffic impact analysis for the school's projected enrollment; she noted the district has discussed the Cloud Road improvements for the past three years and the current exit is a temporary, district-only exit.

In a broader facilities update, Bob Lawson told the board the district submitted 12 building renewal grant applications for weatherization and roofing repairs but learned after the October application cycle that none were awarded. Lawson said funding is extremely limited and competitive; staff will monitor future funding rounds and consider performing in-house design work to move projects more quickly into construction.

Lawson outlined roofing considerations tied to School Facilities Board (SFB) practices: SFB commonly funds spray polyurethane-foam roofs but that material generally has a shorter life expectancy than traditional built-up roofing (which can last up to about 25 years). He added that when campuses have large metal roof areas (citing Queen Creek Elementary as an example), SFB typically will not fund a metal-to-metal replacement and instead will fund replacement with plywood decking and a single-ply roof that has a roughly 10— year expected life, which requires additional planning by district staff.

Next steps: Chrisman High parking work is slated to begin over the summer with a target completion before the start of school; staff will continue to pursue grant opportunities for roof and weatherization projects and will bring follow-up procurement and scheduling details to the board as those plans advance.